All India Students’ Association (AISA) called for an apology from Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) for their last year’s original President, Ankiv Basoya, who held a fake college degree. The left-backed association also insisted that ABVP recall their current presidential contestation as atonement for the same.
On 7th September, All India Students’ Association (AISA) released its manifesto for the upcoming Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections. Kawalpreeet Kaur, President of the association’s Delhi State unit, took the opportunity to bring last year’s Ankiv Basoya fraud, back into the limelight.
During the 2018 DUSU elections, the Akhil Bharati Vidyarthi Parishad had fielded Ankiv Basoya’s candidature for the Presidential post. Basoya won the election and assumed the position of DUSU’s President. However, within a couple of months of his appointment, the validity of his College degree was questioned and was later, proven unauthentic. This was followed by Basoya losing his position and being kicked out of the Department of Buddhist Studies, where he was pursuing his Masters.
As reported by The Financial Express, Kaur recalled this embarrassing episode during the Press Conference and insisted on an apology from ABVP regarding the same. “The question is, ‘Will ABVP seek forgiveness?’” Kaur asked. She also added, “The outfit should apologise to the students and not contest the President’s post as a way to seek the students’ forgiveness.”
Kaur also added, “The University has been facing issues of fund cuts and fee hike under the Centre, but the ABVP has kept quiet.” She reinforced that despite having a mandate in DUSU and their party also being in power in Centre, ABVP did nothing to ensure new hostels or colleges were built.
This is not the first time AISA has tried to rally support against ABVP over this incident. Multiple posts across their social media encourage voters to keep cognizance of the episode and demand accountability.
Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives
Prisha Saxena