The Indian National Students Organisation (INSO), the student wing of the Haryana’s main opposition party, INlD, has given an ultimatum to the BJP-led State Government to announce student body elections in educational institutions by August 5.
Giving ultimatum to the State Government, INSO president, Digvijay Chautala on Tuesday said if the Government failed to announce the student body elections by August 5, the INSO members would hold protest across the State. In case of any untoward incident during such protests, the State Government would be held responsible for this, said Digvijay.
The BJP Government should fulfil its poll promise of holding student body elections in the State, said he while speaking at Ambala.
lashing out at the Haryana Government-led Manohar lal Khattar, the INSO leader said the Government was anti-student and implementing anti-student policies.
“The Manohar lal Government should not take our announcement lightly as INSO will launch a Statewide protest if their demand is not fulfilled,” said Digvijay.
He added the student wing of the INlD, INSO, would organise a State-level rally on August 5 at Sonepat to mark its foundation day.
The elections to students unions in colleges and universities of the State had not been conducted for the last 20 years.
Notably, the Haryana Government had last year announced to hold student union elections, albeit indirectly. The announcement of indirect election was, however, opposed by the opposition.
While the Congress had demanded that instead of indirect election, direct elections should be held in the colleges or universities of the State, the INlD had expressed doubts over the Government’s decision saying that the ruling party would take a u-turn on its decision.
The elections to the student bodies were banned by then Chief Minister Bansi lal in 1996 in view of the unruly and violent behaviour of some students group at that time.
Even as students’ union election remained a major poll issue in the State, the ban was not lifted during the INlD rule as well as Congress regime in Haryana in the past one decade.
The BJP-led State Government had last year also constituted a four-committee for making arrangements for student union elections to be conducted in colleges and universities of the state. However, the issue was later put on back burner.