Protests in city over scholar’s death

Protests were held here by workers of Congress and Left parties against the death of a Dalit student of Hyderabad Central University. Members of the scheduled caste wing of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC), led by K Selvaperunthagai, tried to picket the Shastri Bhavan here, which houses a number of central government offices.

About 65 Congress workers were detained, police said. The protesting Congress workers sought a CBI probe into the death of Rohith Vemula, a Dalit scholar of HCU, who was found hanging at the central varsity’s hostel room on Sunday. Members of SFI, affiliated to CPI (M), also staged a protest demonstration. MDMK founder Vaiko demanded action against Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and HCU Vice-Chancellor Appa Rao in connection with the 26-yearold student’s death. 

“Dattatreya should be sacked (as Minister) while the Vice-Chancellor should be arrested,” he said and appealed that the rights of students belonging to Dalit and other backward communities must be upheld. 

Rohith Vemula, a second year PhD student had committed suicide on Sunday. He was active in student politics, but had grown silent after the university took disciplinary against him. Student bodies said that Rohith had been depressed following suspension and expulsion from the hostel.