Dalit scholar suicide: NSUI takes out procession agnst Centre

MATHURA: Mounting pressure on the Centre, the Congress' students wing NSUI today burnt the effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in protest against the death of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula in Hyderabad.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi should have dismissed Union labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya as his name figures in the FIR over the alleged suicide of Dalit student Rohith Vemula. Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani should have also been shown the way as she, in order to shield her cabinet colleague, has refused government intervention on the issue," Mukesh Dhangar, NSUI state General Secretary said.

The NSUI led a large procession of students from BSA College to New Bus stand area here.

Dhangar said that a "deterrent action" must have been taken against the Hyderabad University Vice Chancellor by now, as the Dalit scholar was not only expelled from the university but no action was taken in spite of his several request letters for relief to the Deputy Registrar of the University.

The NSUI leader also criticized Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad ( ABVP) for its role in the incident.

"On one side ABVP claims itself to be custodian of student community and on the other side, a student leader of ABVP had incited Rohith to commit suicide as his name figured in the FIR," he said.

He noted that the student outfit will take the fight from roads to the Parliament if justice did not prevail.

"NSUI would protest from roads to Parliament, if the harassment of students in different universities of the country is not prevented by the government," he said.

V Rohith, a Dalit PhD scholar, was found hanging at the Hyderabad Central University's hostel room on January 17, triggering protests from fellow students as well as other educational institutes in various parts of the country.

The issue took a political turn with allegations that the extreme action by Rohith was a result of discrimination against dalit students at the behest of Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, who had written a letter to HRD Minister Smriti Irani, seeking action against their "anti-national acts".