More than two months after he went on leave following Rohith Vemula’s suicide on campus, Hyderabad Central University vice chancellor Appa Rao Podile resumed office in the teeth of violent protests by students who blamed him for the “institutional killing” of the Dalit research scholar.
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He also expressed solidarity with students of Hyderabad University fighting for justice to the family of Rohith, the Dalit research scholar who committed suicide on January 17.
“The situation on the campus is peaceful today”, Gachibowli police inspector J Ramesh said. “We will also assure students that the ABVP does not interfere in administrative affairs of institutions”.
“I came from JNU to HCU to support Rohith Vemula’s cause.we will have to fulfil Rohith Vemula’s dreams”.
Kanhaiya Kumar has reached Hyderabad to join protesting students at HCU. “It is unfortunate the government is not listening to voice of students”, said Kanahiya.
“It is undemocratic to allow Appa Rao Podile to take charge as the Vice Chancellor and to indulge in lathicharge on protesting students”, he claimed. They vandalised his office and also attacked the media and threw stones at the police.
A student body comprising 14 students said that an emergency-like situation has been imposed on the university campus and the authorities have shut the hostel mess, water and internet connection.
Student groups condemned what they said was “police brutality” and “sexual assault” on students protesting against the vice chancellor.
JNU Students Union leader Kanhaiya Kumar on Wednesday alleged the government flared up the issue of JNU to divert people’s attention from the Rohit Vemula’s suicide issue and subsequent developments. While the facilities have been restored, the students still remain apprehensive and University authorities seem unrelenting on their decision to keep Prof. “25 students and two faculty members”, Ramesh told PTI. Referring to Nizamabad MP K Kavitha’s demand that the ministry of human resources development (MHRD) must send back vice-chancellor P Appa Rao, the Congress president said she was just shedding crocodile tears. “The TRS government should stop implicating innocent students in false cases and immediately arrest Appa Rao”.
“We appreciate the demands of the protesting students and their legitimacy”.
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The Jawaharlal Nehru University students’ union president, who was to address students at the university on Wednesday, was not allowed to enter by the security staff.
