NSUI delegation meets Rahul Gandhi, seeks support to restore student union polls across country

A delegation of elected student union leaders from National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), affiliated with the Congress, on Friday met Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to seek his support on conduct of student union elections across the country.

The delegation submitted to him a memorandum wherein the student outfit has alleged the BJP-RSS regime’s systematic dismantlement of student unions to silence young and progressive voices.

Advertisement

“Since the implementation of OBC reservations in 2006, there has been a rise in participation from OBC, Dalit, Adivasi, minority, and women students, challenging the status quo. In response, the regime has pushed to ban elections, fearing empowered student leadership,” the memorandum stated.

During the meeting, NSUI pointed out that in almost all central, state universities and colleges elections have either been banned or indefinitely delayed.

Even in campuses like DU, JNU, and HCU, where elections take place, the government uses legal tactics and administrative interference to block and dismantle them. Wherever elections happen, students from marginalised backgrounds lead and question the government—this is what the BJP wants to shut down, it alleged.

The key demands of the Congress-affiliated student organisations include the immediate restoration of student union elections across all campuses and a Student Union Elections Bill to be passed by Parliament to make campus elections mandatory and legally protected.

Moreover, it also alleged that the New Education policy lacks proper implementation of OBC,SC,ST reservations in higher education, and urged the LoP to raise this issue.

After the meeting, NSUI National President Varun Choudhary said, “This is a fight for student democracy. Rahul Gandhi heard us with seriousness and assured full support — in Parliament and beyond. The suppression of student unions is an attack on the Constitution.”