Even while stating that he had not come to University of Hyderabad campus to ‘politicise’ the suicide of dalit Ph.D student Vemula Rohith, the AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi blamed Union minister of HRD Smriti Irani, union labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya and UoH vice chancellor Appa Rao for the student’s suicide in the campus.
Rahul Gandhi who made a flash visit to UoH campus on Tuesday to meet students and inquire about the suicide incident, spent over two hours in the campus.
He extended complete support to the agitation programmes taken up by the students on the campus demanding punishment to those responsible for Rohith’s suicide. Rahul consoled mother and family members of Rohith.
Accompanied by Congress leaders Digvijay Singh, Uttam Kumar Reddy, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Shabbir Ali, Geetha Reddy among other, Rahul first visited the venue on the campus where four suspended dalit students were on relay hunger strike for the last 15 days.
Rohith, who was the fifth students to be suspended, was also part of the strike for 10 days before he committed suicide on Sunday evening.
While Rahul was about to address the students, a student urged him “Don't politicise this as Congress versus BJP. We are fighting only for justice for Rohith Vemula."
Though Gandhi did not made a direct attack on “Hindutva forces” or NDA government or PM Narendra Modi on this issue, he stated that the Vice Chancellor of the Hyderabad Central University and "the Minister in Delhi" (Smriti Irani) and Bandaru Dattatreya must be held accountable for the suicide of Mr Vermula.
"This youngster came (here) to improve this country, who came to learn, to express himself... but he was put in so much pain, that he had no other option but to kill himself," Mr Gandhi declared.
"He has committed suicide, but the condition for his suicide was created by the Vice Chancellor, the minister in Delhi, and the institution," he alleged.
Two weeks before his death, Mr Vermula, a Dalit student, was forbidden from using the library, hostel and other facilities at his college, though he was allowed to attend classes.
The penalty was imposed on him and four other students, all members of the Ambedkar Student's Association, for allegedly beating up the leader of the ABVP, the youth wing of the BJP.
A complaint about that assault was sent in August last year by union minister Bandaru Dattareya to the Education Ministry.
Between September and mid-November, a series of emails and letters from Ms Irani's department asked the Vice Chancellor of the university to furnish an explanation. This pressure, the opposition Congress has alleged, moved university officials to act against Mr Vermula and the others, though an initial inquiry had exonerated them of any wrong-doing.
Rahul said the vice chancellor, Appa Rao, has shown neither "the dignity or decency" to visit Mr Vermula's family, an omission he pegged as "an insult to every student."
Rahul added that the universities should be centres for freedom of expression and ideas but sadly they were becoming centres of suppression.
Rahul supported the students demand for payment of compensation of Rs 5 crore to Rohith’s family.
He offered any assistance to students and Rohith’s family in future saying that, “My doors will always be open for you to extend whatever help possible.”
