Maharashtra: Protest march over Hyderabad Central University suicide

GADCHIROLI (MAHARASHTRA): A protest was held in the district's remote Korchi taluka bordering Chhattisgarh over the suicide of a dalit research scholar in Hyderabad Central University ( HCU).

The protest was organised yesterday jointly by Congress, CPI, Buddhist Society of India, Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh and Samyak Vidyarthi Andolan.

A protest march passed through the Weekly Market Square of the town, where the shopkeepers shut shops following request from the marchers, and ended in front of the tehsil office after covering a distance of 2 km.

A meeting was held in front of the tehsil office where leaders of the parties and groups demanded immediate arrest of those responsible for the dalit scholar's death.

A memorandum addressed to the President of India was then submitted to naib tehsildar Vikas Hatwar.

Despite denial of permission by the local police to take out a morcha, people from remote areas in the taluka participated in the protest and expressed their anguish over the incident.

The body of Rohith Vemula was found hanging in a hostel room on the HCU campus on January 17, sparking strong reactions on the campus and across the country.

Rohith and four other students, all from the dalit community, were suspended last year by the varsity for allegedly attacking an ABVP leader.

The suspension of the four students was revoked last week after the issue snowballed into a major political row, with the agitation drawing support from parties other than the BJP.