AAP win positive, want resolution on CAA: Varsity student leaders

By Rohan Agarwal

Feb 11, 2020
New Delhi: Even as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was all set to retain power in Delhi with a thumping majority once again, student leaders of three Delhi universities on Tuesday offered different views, including that the AAP victory will set an example for the national political discourse.

One student leader also demanded adoption of a resolution by the new Assembly against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR).

With protests against the CAA gaining ground, the issue of hike in hostel charges in the Jawaharlal Nehru University was pushed to the background during the Delhi election campaign. However, university students had been voicing their demands on the roads as also on social media.

JNU student leader Saket Moon said that the AAP victory was a positive sign for the country.

He said: “The AAP win makes it clear that the people have stopped voting on communal grounds. Rather, the win makes it clear that AAP got the votes as it worked well in the education and health sectors and on other basic facilities.”

“It indicates people have adopted politics of work and not politics that divides,” Moon added.

Reacting to AAP retaining power in Delhi, Jamia Millia Islamia student leader Safoora said: “Now that the AAP looks all set to retain power, I expect them to clear its stand on CAA, the NRC and NPR. The party also needs to get a resolution passed in the new Delhi Assembly against these three.”

A student leader from Delhi University had a different perspective on the Delhi election results.

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad(ABVP), which controls the majority of Delhi University Students Union office bearers, rooted for the CAA and maintained that the violence in JNU and Jamia Millia on the issue was unacceptable.

DUSU president Akshit Dahiya of the ABVP said: “It is a positive sign that Delhi Assembly will have a strong opposition (in BJP) this time; this reflects a good democracy.”

He said he hoped that the Kejriwal government would work well towards fulfilling the promises made in the run-up to the 2020 elections, as also in 2015.

“I hope the AAP will now fulfil promises made in 2015 and work well for education in the capital,” he said.