NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued strong directives against the Delhi University (DU) and civic authorities for their failure to prevent the defacement of public property in the run-up to the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections. The HC criticised the authorities for not taking necessary steps to spare public places of graffiti and posters.
A bench, led by Chief Justice-designate Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, asked DU to issue immediate disqualification notices to candidates responsible for defacing properties.
The court also ordered the university to recover the costs of damage caused by such actions. “Issue them disqualification notices today itself and ask for recovery of funds for the defacement,” the bench said.
It also asked Delhi Metro and the MCD to list the names of people involved in defacement. The judges expressed shock over the lack of coordination between government agencies.
The court directive came on a petition filed by advocate Prashant Manchanda, who raised concerns about the deteriorating state of public spaces as a result of election campaigning.
The HC summoned the Chief Election Officer of DU to appear before it on Wednesday. The hearing will continue to address a plea requesting strict compliance with anti-defacement guidelines for the DUSU elections. | p4