The Hindu : New Delhi News : JNU poll panel chief steps down

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Oct 15, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

JNU poll panel chief steps down

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, OCT. 14. Less than four days after he was unanimously elected chairperson of the Election Committee for the upcoming Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) elections, Ph.D student Khurram Hafiz stepped down from the post today. The move comes a day after a section of the student community here organised a signature campaign against his selection.

In a statement issued today, Khurram said he had taken the decision "in the larger interest of the student community and smooth conduct of the JNUSU elections''. Clarifying the charges made against him, Khurram further added that the protests over his election had stalled the election process and by stepping down, he wanted to ensure that the process could continue.

"As an independent councillor of the School of Physical Sciences (SPS), I had always raised and supported issues in the JNUSU council meetings purely in the larger interest of the student community, especially students from the science schools. The allegations of political partisanship made against me are completely baseless,'' the statement issued by Khurram said.

While expressing his dismay at the allegations made against him, Khurram further pointed out in the statement that the charge of his selection as chairperson violating clause IV of Article 18 was baseless. "Clause IV of Article 18 of the JNUSU Constitution bars the members of the present council from becoming a member of the JNUSU Election Committee. This does not in any way prevent any member of the past council from becoming a member of the JNUSU Election Committee,'' he added. In his final year of Ph.D in the SPS, Khurram was the councillor and convenor of the school in 1997 and 1998. He has also served as president of Sabarmati hostel in 2000 and president of Mahanadi hostel in 2003. Khurram is currently the convenor of the weightlifting and powerlifting club of JNU, besides being an active member of the JNU sporting community.

The National Students' Union of India (NSUI), which led the campaign against Khurram's appointment on the campus, welcomed his resignation, with the NSUI national president, Ashok Tanwar, describing it as "victory of JNU's democratic culture''. The outgoing JNUSU, which had stood by Khurram's election as a valid one, will now have to propose a new name to the Election Committee. With even election dates yet to be decided, this is now being seen as only the beginning of another eventful election on this campus.

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