Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 18 (ANI): The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) organised a student rally in Lucknow on Sunday under its nationwide call, “Stop Anarchy, Embrace Democracy”, with thousands of students and ABVP members participating in a march from Lucknow University to Gandhi Chowk in Hazratganj.
The rally called for protecting democratic values and constitutional institutions, with ABVP stating that governments in India must be changed through elections and not through mob pressure or coercive politics.
ABVP National Secretary Abhay Pratap Singh, Kashi Prant Secretary Shivam Singh, Goraksh Prant Secretary Mangal Gupta, Awadh Prant Secretary Arpan Kushwaha and Kanpur Prant Secretary Dinesh Yadav attended the rally.
The organisation said electoral grievances should be raised through evidence and constitutional procedures rather than by pressuring institutions or spreading distrust against them. It also referred to political developments in Bangladesh and Nepal, arguing that such developments should not be replicated in India.
ABVP said the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was a regular administrative process and that allegations of irregularities should be raised with evidence before appropriate constitutional forums. It also questioned the differing positions adopted by political parties on SIR in Kerala, Punjab and Tamil Nadu, and criticised demonstrations that it said disrupted the daily lives of students, traders and other citizens.
Addressing the rally, ABVP National Secretary Abhay Pratap Singh said India’s democratic system rested on public trust, voting rights and the independence of constitutional institutions.
“India’s democracy rests on public trust, the right to vote and the independence of constitutional institutions. The authority to change governments in the country rests solely with the people, who elect and replace governments through their votes. Political dissent is welcome in a democracy, but attempts to bring about a change of government through mob pressure, anarchy or by targeting constitutional institutions are unacceptable,” he said.
Singh said allegations of electoral irregularities should be supported by evidence and addressed through established legal procedures. He also criticised attempts to question the credibility of constitutional institutions for political gains.
“If there are irregularities in the electoral process, evidence must be presented and constitutional and legal procedures must be followed. Questioning the credibility of institutions such as the Election Commission and the Supreme Court for political gains, or attempting to bring them under pressure, goes against democratic propriety,” he said.
Referring to political developments in neighbouring countries, Singh said India’s political future would be determined by its citizens through the democratic process. He cited ABVP’s performance in student union elections in Delhi University, Uttarakhand, Kerala and Odisha as evidence of students’ participation in democratic processes.
“Those who imagine that India, too, can witness a change of government through anarchy inspired by developments in Bangladesh and Nepal must understand that India’s democracy is strong and that the people alone determine the future of governments. ABVP’s success in student union elections in Delhi University, Uttarakhand, Kerala and Odisha demonstrates that students believe in the democratic process and stand with the ideology of ‘Nation First’,” he said.
Singh said the participation of students in the Lucknow rally reflected their commitment to democratic values and constitutional institutions. He called on young people to protect constitutional institutions, democratic values and national interests through democratic means. (ANI)
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad holds student rally in Lucknow, calls for upholding democratic values
