Education Minister Ram Bilas says BJP has fulfilled its pre-poll promise

Chandigarh :
Elections to students’ bodies in 11 universities and 288 colleges across the state passed off peacefully on Wednesday.

Sources said out of the 1,108 class representatives (CRs), 517 were elected unopposed in the universities.
While there was contest for the posts of 254 CRs, 296 toppers were also elected to the student bodies.

The sources said results of 224 out of 288 colleges were declared by the evening. The election was conducted for 4,011 CRs of which 1,862 were elected unopposed, 966 through election process and 1,183 were class toppers.

The elected CRs later voted for elections to the posts of president, vice-president, secretary and deputy secretary. Elections were also held for the five executive council seats of the colleges and universities.

Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma said the election process remained peaceful. “Elections to the students’ bodies were held after a gap of 22 years in accordance with the election manifesto of the BJP for the 2014 Assembly elections,” he added.

In figures

517 class representatives elected unopposed in universities

1,862 class representatives elected unopposed in colleges

INSO, NSUI boycott poll in Ambala 

Ambala: Members of INSO and NSUI on Wednesday boycotted the students’ elections and protested outside the colleges. Meanwhile, the elections went off peacefully in 15 colleges of Ambala. The INSO members said, “The government has conducted the elections in an unfair manner and we are boycotting the elections. We will not accept the elected presidents.” The NSUI members said that only ABVP members were participating in the elections. It was not an election, but selection of presidents.

Strike successful in Hisar, Yamunanagar and Sonepat districts on first day

Chandigarh :

Haryana Roadways employees went on a two-day strike to protest against a government’s decision to introduce 700 private buses. The response was partial response.

Despite the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) being in force roadways workers staged sit-ins at several depots across the state.

The ESMA prohibits strikes by employees in an essential service.
Police personnel were deployed at several bus stands to prevent any untoward incident and buses plied with police escort at some roadways depots.

“We want the government to withdraw its decision of introducing private buses in the state,” a union leader said.

In August also, employees had gone on a day-long strike to protest the government’s decision to introduce 700 private buses.

Kaithal: Passengers were put to inconvenience, as they travelled by private buses and other modes of transport. The local authorities, however, claimed that more 60 per cent of buses plied. But union leaders claimed that of the 140 buses in the local, depot 20 to 25 buses plied.

Hisar: The strike was successful here, with the authorities failing to persuade drivers and conductors to operate buses. The roadways’ authorities tried to ply three buses, but the staff alighted from the buses to express their solidarity with striking employees.

Kurukshetra: Of the 176 buses in the local depot, 90 were pressed into service. As a result, buses of Punjab Roadways, PEPSU Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) and other states were filled to capacity. Lekhraj, General Manager, Kurukshetra depot, said roadways’ buses plied from places outside the bus stands.

A police spokesperson said five union leaders were arrested under the ESMA and 13 roadways’ employees were booked for proceeding on strike.

Yamunanagar: Hari Narain Sharma, president, All-Haryana Roadways Workers’ Union, claimed the strike was successful in the district. “Only five buses of the Yamunanagar depot plied,” he said. General Manager Ravinder Pathak, however, claimed 21 out 180 buses of the depot plied.

Ambala: In all, 11 roadways employees were booked under the ESMA. Passengers were left high and dry. Private buses were overcrowded.

Karnal: Most of the roadways’ buses remained off road. The authorities said private buses were filled to capacity.

Sonepat: The strike was almost successful here. In Gohana, 80 per cent of the buses remained off road. Security arrangements were made to avoid any untoward incident.

Faridabad: The police rounded up 44 employees, while 15 to 20 buses operated. A clash-like situation erupted after the police rounded up union leaders, who had deflated the tyres of several buses early in the morning. About 110 buses ply from the local depot on long routes daily.

Panipat: General Manager SP Parmar claimed that of the 133 buses of the local depot, 90 plied.

Mahendragarh :
The police on Tuesday filed a 492-page chargesheet naming 38 witnesses in the Rewari gangrape case, 32 days after the crime took place. After the chargesheet was filed in the Kanina court, the matter was scheduled for hearing on Wednesday.

“The witnesses include residents of Naya Gaon village, policemen and others who were part of the investigation,” said Kanina police station incharge Ashok Saini.

On September 12, a 19-year-old girl was allegedly kidnapped from the Kanina bus stand while on way back from coaching classes, taken to a room adjoining a tubewell, drugged and gangraped.

A zero FIR was lodged by the women police station on September 13. An SIT led by Mewat SP Naazneen Bhasin had arrested the three prime accused — Armyman Pankaj, Nishu Phogat and Manish — a few days later. 

Five others were also arrested, of whom three are out on bail.

Rohtak :

Members of various students’ organisations, barring the ABVP, the student wing of the ruling BJP, plan to boycott and oppose the student union elections slated to be held across the state in the proposed indirect format on Wednesday.

The police authorities as well as intelligence agencies have been put on an alert in view of the situation.

Rohtak SP Jashandeep Singh Randhawa said on Tuesday that police personnel had been deployed at strategic locations while a number of policemen in plain clothes were also keeping a watch.

“We are prepared to get the student union elections conducted in a smooth and peaceful manner and prevent any untoward incident during the poll process,” he maintained.

Six to seven well-equipped companies of the police force were ready to tackle any situation. The CIA branches as well as the intelligence wing of the police force are also keeping a vigil on the activities of persons with doubtful character to ensure the maintenance of peace, law and order, he claimed.

 
The SP said police check-posts had been put up around Maharishi Dayanand University (MDU) as well as the local colleges and police personnel had been deployed on the gates of these educational institutions.

“The entry of outsiders has been banned and students are being frisked thoroughly. If any student is found carrying a weapon or posing a threat to law and order, strict action would be taken against him/her,” he added.

Meanwhile, the agitation against the indirect elections, which began on the campus of MDU here, has spread to the local colleges as well.

A protest demonstration was held in front of the All-India Jat Heroes’ Memorial College.

Issues notice of motion to state and other respondents for Nov 12

Chandigarh :

A day before the student union elections in Haryana, Justice Rajan Gupta of the Punjab and Haryana High Court made it clear that the poll would be subject to the decision on a writ petition challenging the process.

Justice Gupta also issued a notice of motion to the state and other respondents for November 12 on a bunch of petitions filed by Anita Kumar, research scholar in Maharishi Dayanad University (MDU), and other petitioners.

Kumar had challenged the government’s decision of not allowing research scholars to contest the poll, in accordance with the recommendations of Tankeshwar Committee. The petitioner’s argument was that the elections were required to be conducted as per the recommendations of Lyngdoh Committee, not Tankeshwar Committee.
Appearing for the petitioners, Ravinder Singh Dhull and Sukhvinder Singh Nara argued that the government had not formed a grievance redress mechanism for the elections, as per the recommendations of Lyngdoh panel.

Justice Gupta’s Bench was also told that the petitioners were feeling aggrieved as they could neither contest elections nor cast their vote despite the fact that Lyngdoh Committee had allowed them both.

Dhull further submitted that an opportunity of hearing was not given to the research scholars and no reason was assigned as to why the recommendations of the Lyngdoh Committee, duly accepted by the Supreme Court and made mandatory, were given a go-by by the Haryana Government.

The petition 

Anita Kumar, a research scholar of MDU, and other petitioners had challenged the government’s decision of not allowing research scholars to contest the poll.