ASAP slams DU’s new election rule as discriminatory, anti-poor and anti-women

Delhi University’s (DU) latest directive has sparked outrage, with the Aam Aadmi Party’s student wing, the Association of Students for Alternative Politics (ASAP), alleging that the administration is deliberately preventing poor students from contesting student union elections.

At a press conference today, ASAP’s Eeshna Gupta said that after the High Court struck down DU’s earlier rule requiring candidates to deposit a ₹1 lakh bond, the administration has now shifted the burden onto parents by demanding a ₹1 lakh surety bond signed by them.

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ASAP denounced the move as a ploy to exclude underprivileged students and warned that it would also reduce women’s participation in student politics.

ASAP further questioned how students whose parents live outside Delhi could possibly submit signed bonds by the September 10 deadline, accusing the administration of shirking its duty to curb election-related violence and instead unfairly transferring responsibility onto students.

“There are many issues in our country on which people choose to remain silent. However, if we look at the history of student movements, students have always raised their voices against injustice. Student politics forms the very foundation of our nation. Yet, in recent years, attempts have been made to suppress students’ voices, curtail their academic freedom, and silence dissent. As part of this effort, a conspiracy is underway to prevent ordinary students from contesting elections,” Gupta said.

Pointing out that DU attracts students from across the country—not just Delhi—Gupta emphasized that children of farmers, laborers, and working-class families study here with the hope of building a better future.

“Student politics is a medium through which their voices can be amplified. But the imposition of a ₹1 lakh bond is a deliberate attempt to keep women students, poor students, and those from marginalized communities out of the electoral process,” she said.

“We believe that if a student has the right to vote, then they must also have the right to contest elections. This move is not only against campus democracy but also against the very spirit of Indian democracy and the Constitution. Until equal rights are guaranteed to every student, we will continue our struggle,” she added.