Randhawa changes statement on HSU support

CHANDIGARH, Sept 24: The newly-elected president of the Punjab University Campus Students8217; Council, Dayal Pratap Singh Randhawa today changed stand on the issue of alliance with Haryana Students8217; Union HSU once again. Addressing mediapersons here at the University guest house, immediately after his victory, he announced: quot;We were with HSU, we are with HSU and we will remain with HSU. HSU didn8217;t only support us but they formed an alliance with us SOPU-ABVP for these elections and their supporters stood by us throughout the elections.

On September 21, Randhawa had addressed a joint press conference with Bhupinder Beniwal, HSU president, at university8217;s student centre to declare their alliance and field Praneet Garewal for the post of secretary as an HSU candidate. However, Beniwal who had been evading arrest, was arrested by the city police from the press conference on charges of being allegedly involved in the kidnapping of a PUSU activist. Interestingly, immediately after the arrest, Randhawa had declared: quot;I didn8217;t know that Beniwal was evading arrest; we have not signed any agreement with HSU to date; the SOPU-ABVP alliance stands as suchquot;.

On Praneet8217;s candidature, Randhawa had denied that Parneet was associated with HSU and had claimed that he was a SOPU activist fielded by the SOPU-ABVP alliance on his personal merits. Parneet had also affirmed: quot;I am a SOPU activist and have nothing to do with HSU.quot;

Randhawa had also claimed that he had never before seen the just-released quot;SOPU-ABVP-HSU manifestoquot;. He had owed it to the someone8217;s mischief. Later in a press release, Randhawa had stated: quot;SOPU-ABVP alliance has nothing to do with HSU. No such alliance exists between SOPU-ABVP and HSU.quot;

On September 22, the SOPU-ABVP alliance had faxed their agreement of alliance with HSU to all the newspaper houses, which also bore the signatures of Praneet Garewal. On the morning of September 23, all the office-bearers of SOPU-ABVP had denied having faxed any such statement and had called it quot;a prankquot;.

However, today Praneet said: quot;I am an HSU worker and I represent HSU in the SOPU-ABVP-HSU alliance.quot;