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High Court did not allow counting of DUSU election votes, hearing on October 28

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New Delhi, 21 October (Hindustan Reporter). The Delhi High Court has again said that unless election campaign pamphlets and slogans etc. are cleaned from public property, counting of votes for Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) cannot be allowed. A bench headed by Chief Justice Manmohan directed Delhi Metro and Delhi Police to file a fresh status report regarding the cleanliness. The next hearing of the case will be on October 28.

During the hearing, lawyer Prashant Manchanda challenged the claim of Delhi University that 90 percent of public properties have been cleaned. Then the court said that we can initiate action against those who have polluted public properties. Earlier on October 9, the High Court had said that counting of votes for Delhi University Students Union elections cannot be allowed until the public property is cleaned. The court had told the student leaders that we do not want to withhold the results. You clean the public property, repaint it, we will get the counting done the next day.

During the hearing, the High Court had said that free food was being distributed in the Delhi University Students Union elections, which we did not see even in the general elections. More money has been spent in the student union elections than in the general elections. This is a celebration of democracy, it is not a celebration of money laundering. On September 26, the High Court had banned the counting of votes. However, the High Court had given permission to hold student union elections on September 27. The High Court had reprimanded Delhi University for defiling public property during the election campaign of Delhi University Students Union.

The High Court had directed Delhi University and all college administrations to keep the EVMs and ballot boxes safe and secure after the voting till further orders. The High Court had said that Delhi University will have to compensate the cost of cleaning whatever public property has been polluted. The High Court said that Delhi University can later recover this money from the candidates contesting the elections who have committed the said crime.

During the hearing, the High Court had asked whether there was any record of how much money was being used in the elections. The High Court had said that posters are being put up on walls and roads. Money should not be allowed to be wasted in this manner. You should take strict action for this. The High Court had said that the money for removing the posters should be recovered from the candidates whose names are there. No one is contesting this election alone but organizations are involved in the elections. Don't feel so helpless yourself.

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