With only a day to go for the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) election, the Delhi University has issued show-cause notices to two candidates of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) after they discovered that the candidates were holding dual degrees.
This may result in the cancellation of their candidatures. The student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) of RSS was the one to levy some serious allegations on three candidates of Congress-backed National Students Union of India (NSUI). ABVP released documents which implicate that presidential and vice presidential candidates of NSUI Gaurav Tushir and Mona Chaudhary have taken admission in the Delhi University based on bogus degrees after violating the most essential clause of the university regarding dual admissions. While these two have already got show-cause notices from the university administration, the Joint Secretary candidate of NSUI Abhishek Chaudhary has been alleged by ABVP to have used a fake graduation degree to get admission in DU.
Incidentally, Mona Chaudhary, who recently changed her surname from Siwach, was a part of ABVP until she recently joined NSUI and was made a vice presidential nominee. Rohit Chahal, national secretary of ABVP, said that Mona had issues with her degree while in ABVP as well but because they didn’t wish to alter her degrees and use unfair means, she left them and joined NSUI. “There is documented proof of the fact that Mona Chaudhary studied in Kirori Mal College and even appeared for examinations in May-June 2014 as an ex-student. However, she took admission in Faculty of law in DU after presenting a degree from Manav Bharti University. After being apprised of this matter, the Faculty of law contacted KMC whose principal confirmed her admission. One person can’t pursue two degrees from two different universities at one time,” said Chahal.
According to letters of correspondence that were exchanged between the professor-in-charge of Campus law Centre Usha Tandon and officiating principal of KMC Dr JN Srivastava, Mona was a student of KMC from July 2010 to April 2013 and she appeared for examinations in May-June 2014 as an ex student. The correspondence also has a letter issued by Tandon which states, “In light of the above, it is emphatically suggested that the admission of Mona Siwach alias AAA Mona Chaudhary to the llB course may summarily be cancelled with immediate effect on the basis of available documentary evidence.”
Mona however denied these allegations. “I am yet to receive the notice by the university as they have refused to give it to me by hand. When I get the notice I will show all my documents to them. I had withdrawn my admission from KMC. I have an authentic degree from Manav Bharti University,” she said.
Gaurav Tushir, who has also received a notice from the university, is alleged to have taken admission in Hansraj College, Satyawati College and then Motilal Nehru Evening College all at the same time. Even though there are documents to prove this, Tushir said, “I never took admission in Satyawati College. I withdrew my admission from Hansraj College and then went to Motilal College after gap years.”
With the university notices already gone to the candidates with Mona’s cancellation letter been sent to chief election officer DS Rawat, it is likely that the nomination of these candidates will be withdrawn with immediate effect. However, Rawat was unavailable to comment on the issue.