AISA condemns notice to JNU poll committee

The Left-backed AISA on Tuesday condemned the varsity's notice to the JNU poll committee for alleged violations of the Lyngdoh Committee guidelines during the recently concluded student union polls. Dean of Students Umesh Kadam had sent a notice to the members of the student-run election committee of Jawaharlal Nehru University on Monday, seeking a reply by September 11 in the matter.

In the notice, Kadam said that the entire process -- from nomination to the election results -- exceeded 10 days, which is violation of the Lyngdoh Committee Report. The notice claimed that students were declared eligible by the poll committee without seeking their details from the Proctor office.

It also said that the places of public meeting were allotted without prior permission from the relevant authority and some people, who were not students of the university, were present inside the polling booth. The observers of the Grievance Redressal Cell were not allowed to visit polling booth and counting room, it claimed.

The JNU Students' Union Election Committee (EC), which withstood multiple attempts by the administration to interfere and continuously influence this year's election, has been called by the Grievance Redressal Cell (GRC) for supposed violations of the Lyngdoh Committee Recommendations (LCR), the AISA said. "The real violator of the LCR is the Dean of Students who barged into counting halls to intimidate the EC. It is unfortunate that now the administration is trying accusing the JNUSU EC of 'violations', at a time when the JNUSU EC is valiantly defending democratic traditions," the student outfit said.

The All India Students' Association demanded that the JNU administration immediately take back the notices and unconditionally apologise to JNUSU EC and JNU community for falsely accusing the committee. "We appeal to all students and the entire JNU community to stand in solidarity with JNUSU EC, which successfully conducted JNUSU elections in spite of all threats and intimidations, and for holding high the glory of this unique institution of JNU, " they said.

The Students' Federation of India (SFI) also extended support to the poll committee.

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