Poll toll: Panjab varsity turns litter bin

Bhartesh Singh Thakur 

Tribune News Service 

Chandigarh, September 5 

Panjab University (PU) on Tuesday turned into a litter bin as almost all the parties rained campaign cards for show off. 

The day was to start with rally of the Students Organisation of India (SOI) at 10:30 am but it failed to gather people on time. As their time was about to end, they mustered crowd of their supporters at the tent and rained campaign cards on their candidates before media for show. 

Indian National Students Organisation (INSO) did not spare the Students’ Centre. As their candidate Shavilini Singh delivered a speech, they rained their campaign cards. 

The National Students Union of India (NSUI) kept on raining cards throughout the route of rally but the real show was at the University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET). Panjab University Students Union (PUSU) did not lag behind and littered the UIET campus. 

Earlier, the parties used to clean the area after throwing cards in the air once their rally gets over. 

“Rules are not clear for action against littering. We have to get the campus cleaned on our own. The Vice-Chancellor visited the Arts Block-1 and ordered cleaning of the area,” said Emanual Nahar, Dean Students Welfare (DSW). 

Outsiders in rallies 

The parties usually bring crowd from colleges to show their strength. The target of rallies is usually the first-year students which are considered as floating voters.  

The pass-out students who have nothing to do with the varsity delivered speeches at the UIET. 

“I couldn’t clear engineering from the UIET but for the last three years, I have been the serving students,” said Babbi of the NSUI. Robin Brar of SOI also addressed students at the UIET. 

The National Students Union of India (NSUI) did bring flagpoles though Dean Students Welfare (DSW) had banned them. 

SFS, ABVP show the way

• The Students for Society (SFS) did not resort to littering. 
• Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) did not take out any rally. Their supporters, including presidential candidate Avinash Pandey, cleaned the area in Arts Block-I and the road outside their tent. 

SFS seeks votes in the name of ideology

The Students for Society (SFS) carried out a swift march and raised slogans and sang couplets on their way. At the University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET), where all rallies were to culminate, Hassanpreet Kaur, who is the party's presidential candidate, listed out her priorities. Harman Deep, media in-charge, SFS, said, "We have to expel the touts of Rahul Gandhi, Manpreet Badal and Capt Amarinder Singh from the campus. The NSUI and PUSU have just student welfare in the name of ideology." 

NSUI refers to SFS leaders as ‘patharbaaz’

The National Students Union of India (NSUI) took out a rally where their supporters from Himachal Students Union (HIMSU), Gandhi Group Students Union (GGSU) and Hindustan Students Association (HSA) also participated.  The rally was longer, so there was hardly any agreement in slogans being raised by those at the front and at back. Some even left the rally and reached the UIET in cars. While addressing the supporters, NSUI leader Hardik Nain said, “Maoists and stone pelters will get a reply on September 7.” The party leaders condemned the April 11 violence on campus.