CM: No work related to DU will be stalled because of city govt
New Delhi: Asserting that steps should be taken to promote education tourism across the country, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday assured that no work of the Delhi University will stop due to the city government.
The chief minister made this statement while addressing a felicitation ceremony organised in her honour at the Delhi University (DU).
Reflecting on her student life, she credited Daulat Ram College for shaping her into a leader. Gupta shared that when she joined Daulat Ram College in 1993, a year-long strike led her to engage with the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) representatives.
This association eventually brought her into contact with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), culminating in her election as the DUSU president in her final year, she said. The chief minister nostalgically spoke about her activism, recounting how she used to organise political events in the DU colleges and across Delhi while riding a scooty.
“I never imagined that one day I would be responsible for the very roads I once travelled as a student,” Gupta said.
“I never thought that I would stand in the VC’s office, where I once protested, and now address the gathering from the stage,” she added expressing her gratitude.
The chief minister reaffirmed her commitment to the DU’s welfare, stating that she would fulfill her responsibilities toward the university with utmost dedication.
Gupta also highlighted her vision of promoting educational tourism in Delhi alongside its existing tourist attractions.
Reminiscing about her college days, she fondly remembered the walls in front of Daulat Ram College and the popular local street foods like ‘bhelpuri’ and lemon soda. The chief minister reminisced about the times she was scolded by her teachers and recalled the protests that led to her deeper engagement with the ABVP.
Gupta humorously mentioned how she never thought she would one day converse with the officers of Maurice
Nagar Police Station, where she and her peers were once taken after protests.
“I never imagined that I would be responsible for maintaining the very roads I once marched on,” she remarked, reflecting on her remarkable journey from student activism to governance.
DU Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh, who presided over the event, emphasized that the university and the Delhi government would collaborate to further the cause of education.
He affirmed the DU’s full cooperation with the government in advancing educational initiatives. Singh congratulated the chief minister, drawing a parallel between a university’s pride in its alumni and a parent’s joy in their child’s success. “It is a matter of pride that a DU student, Rekha Gupta, has become the chief minister of Delhi. You have seen the DU as a student, as DUSU president, as a city councillor and now as the chief minister,” he said.
