Dalit student’s death: Am not BJP man, issue being politicised, says VC

Protests intensified at the Hyderabad Central University (HCU) on Wednesday over the alleged suicide of a Dalit research scholar, Rohith Vemula, even as more politicians headed to the campus, demanding the resignation of Union Minister Smriti Irani. 

Under attack, the university’s vice-chancellor, Appa Rao, claimed there had been “no pressure” from tje HRD Ministry or Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya to act against Vemula, but offered to facilitate talks to restore peace on campus. He criticised attempts to “politicise” the issue and trashed talks about his being a “BJP man”.

He also refused to step down owing to mounting protests. “Unfortunately it has turned into a political game. Every politician is visiting the campus. I don’t know why are they politicising the campus, which is known for its academic activities and research. I am really disappointed and disturbed,” he said.

Describing Vemula’s suicide as unfortunate, he said the university followed certain regulations and procedures based on the recommendations made by statutory body (executive council). The university operated on a standard disciplinary mechanism while taking action against them.

He also sought to distance the HRD Ministry and Union ministers Smriti Irani and Bandaru Dattatreya from the decisions taken by the University, which allegedly forced Vemula to take the extreme step. “There was no pressure. We took the letters received as routine letters,” he said, adding that “there was no phone call from either of the ministers or any ministry official”.

The HRD ministry had written as many as five letters to the Hyderabad University on Dattareya’s complaint regarding “anti-national activities” on campus and the “violent attack” on the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) leader Susheel Kumar. The Ministry has maintained it was standard procedure on such “VIP references”. 

He said initially these students were suspended for six months but the punishment was reduced as it would have adversely affected their getting scholarship. “So, there was hostel expulsion of these students to help them because they hail from marginalised sections,”  he added.

The matter was taken to the Hyderabad high court by the mother of the ABVP leader, who was allegedly assaulted by Vemula and four others. The high court had sought an action-taken report from the university, he said. “During all this, unexpectedly this boy committed suicide. There is no mention of this punishment in the suicide note,” he said.

On allegations about his being a “BJP man”, Rao said: “I cannot agree to any such branding either by students or politicians or anybody else. I am not any party person. I have been appointed through a due selection process. I am not affiliated to any party. First, they want to brand me as a BJP person because I was appointed by the NDA government. It is only a coincidence that the VC’s selection happened during NDA tenure.”  He also rejected the students’ demand for his resignation. “I am not planning to step down...even before I took charge the case was there,” he said. 

Meanwhile, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Trinamool Congress (TMC) spokesperson Derek O'Brien and YSR Congress president YS Jaganmohan Reddy interacted with the agitating students, who have been on warpath demanding justice for 26-year-old Vemula. 

Police took some activists of the pro-CPI All India Students Federation (AISF) into preventive custody, when they tried to stage a demonstration near Dattatreya’s residence. 

Yechury said the incidents at HCU are part of a larger issue of the BJP’s alleged “game” of turning the country into a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ and demanded resignation of HRD Minister Smriti Irani and an “independent inquiry” into the incident. 

O'Brien said the TMC would coordinate with other parties in supporting the agitating students. “This is the fight for justice versus injustice. This is intolerance. There is a documentary evidence from whatever we have seen that clearly points to pressure, ruthless kind of pressure. Parliament is closed now but we will bring Parliament here,” he said.

“Chief Minister of Delhi is coming, we are coordinating with all the politial parties. The boys want the support. We said we will help them to coordinate with all the parties who want to come here. More will come,” O’Brien said.