Rajasthan University students demand union elections, place cut-outs of prominent leaders

JAIPUR: Protesters demanding restoration of student union elections at Rajasthan University asserted their demand uniquely by placing cut-outs of prominent political leaders who launched their political careers through student politics.

They used the cut-outs of former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and other leaders to voice their demands. Student leader Shubhm Rewad, who has been spearheading the protest, said that the university administration and the state government should permit the elections.

"The state government claimed that student union elections were not producing any outcomes. But today, we are standing here with the cut-outs of those leaders who emerged from student union elections," he told reporters.

Besides Ashok Gehlot and Shekhawat, cut-outs of Hanuman Beniwal, Satish Poonia, Rajendra Rathore, Ashok Lahoti, Harish Chaudhary and other leaders were also placed at the protest site.

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Reacting to the protest, former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot called for the immediate restoration of student union elections. "Rajasthan's youth have been demanding student union elections for a long time, but the BJP government is disappointing them," Gehlot said. The Congress leader said that there should be no obstacles in conducting these elections. He also said that during his tenure, the polls were postponed (in 2023) due to the state assembly elections.