University staff on hunger strike, want V-C removed

Three teachers of Hyderabad University on Thursday sat on a oneday hunger strike demanding that Vice-Chancellor Appa Rao Podile be removed and in-charge VC Vipin Srivastava step down, in order to resume academic and administrative activities. 

The protest by teachers comes a day after a second batch of students on an indefinite fast demanding justice for Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula, who allegedly committed suicide on January 17, were shifted to hospital following concerns over their health condition. 

A teacher from the Osmania University also joined the protesting teachers in the fast on the campus under the banner of SC/ST Teachers’ Forum and other concerned teachers. Earlier, a group of seven students had also been taken to hospital following their deteriorating health condition. The agitating students on Wednesday refused to hold talks with Srivastava, who came to the protest site. 

They alleged that Srivastava was equally responsible for the “wrong affairs” and demanded that he stepdown from the responsibility of interim VC. Meanwhile, the Joint Action Committee for Social Justice, spearheading the agitation over Rohith’s suicide, said that students would intensify the “struggle” till all their demands are met. Meanwhile, students of most universities in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on Thursday boycotted classes in solidarity with the agitators.