DUSU chief Baisoya steps down
NEW DELHI: Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) president Ankiv Baisoya, who allegedly furnished a fake graduation degree to gain admission at DU, resigned from the post on Thursday following directions from the Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP).
The Rss-affiliated ABVP also suspended him from the organisation till the Delhi University (DU) concluded its ongoing inquiry against him.
Soon after the ABVP announced Baisoya’s suspension, he issued a statement saying, “Keeping in mind the mandate given by thousands of DU students and the duties of a DUSU president, I resign from the post of university’s students’ union president. I request the university administration to conclude the ongoing inquiry against me and put an end to the controversy. I assure you all that I will prove all baseless allegations levelled against me wrong.”
The move came two days after the ‘two-month period’ for a possible re-election for the Delhi University students body panel lapsed on Monday. As per the Lyngdoh committee’s recommendation, re-elections can be held for a post if a students’ union office bearer post falls vacant in two months of the election results being announced.
Now, since the two-month period is over, DUSU vice-president Shakti Singh — also from the ABVP — will automatically take charge as the president of the students’ union.
DU vice-chancellor Yogesh Tyagi and registrar Tarun Das did not respond to calls and messages. An official in the vice-
chancellor’s office, familiar with the development, confirmed having received Baisoya’s resignation letter. HT could not confirm if the administration had accepted the resignation till the time of filing of this report.
Soon after Baisoya’s election as DUSU president on September 13, the Congress-affiliated National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) had accused him of
submitting a fake degree to get admission in DU’S department of Buddhist studies. NSUI had later circulated what they claimed was Baisoya’s bachelor’s degree along with a letter from Thiruvalluvar University that said it was a fake.
A row erupted on October 3 when Thiruvalluvar University wrote to the Tamil Nadu principal secretary of education stat-
Delhi High Court asks DU to wrap up inquiry within 12 days
DU misses the deadline and seeks more time
ABVP asks Baisoya to resign and suspends him from the organisation till the probe is completed
ing that Baisoya had never been their student. The NSUI also moved the Delhi High Court following which the court had on October 30 directed the DU administration to wrap up the inquiry by November 12. However, DU on Monday sought more time from the court and was then told to file its report by November 20.
ABVP’S state secretary Bha- rat Khatana said the decision was taken to maintain the “genuineness” of the Delhi University Students Union. “ABVP is committed to the students’ cause. This incident is continuously tarnishing the image of DUSU and also raising question on students’ mandate. So we request DU administration to complete the verification process as soon as possible and must produce the result in public domain… If Ankiv is found guilty then he must face all the legal actions which are expected in this case.”
The NSUI, however, demanded fresh elections. “The ABVP supported by the DU administration waited for two months in an attempt to retain the president’s post. They could have asked Baisoya to resign immediately when the matter had come to light. It was all pre decided and the administration was hand in glove with the ABVP,” NSUI national spokesperson Ruchi Gupta, said, adding, the NSUI will soon submit a memorandum to the DU vice chancellor demanding fresh elections.
ROW SIMMERS ABVP suspends Baisoya from organisation till DU wraps up probe, NSUI steps up pressure, demands fresh polls