Dalit scholar's suicide: RSS ruling Hyderabad University, alleges Congress

The Congress Party on Wednesday held the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha (RSS) responsible for the death of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula.

"A principal of the law college had told the Vice Chancellor to take action as this was a very serious issue, but the Vice Chancellor said the problem can be solved only by Ramchander Rao, who is an MLC from the BJP. He is a RSS man," Congress leader Hanumantha Rao told ANI.

"That means the RSS is ruling this Central University. In what way Ramchander Rao could have solved this problem? This means the Vice Chancellor is not running the University?" he added.

The Congress leader, who took up a vow of silence as a protest at University of Hyderabad, urged Chief Minister K.C. Rao and Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan to visit the varsity in wake of the latest developments.

"I would request the Chief Minister and the Governor of the state to visit the University and seek justice from the NDA Government over the death the Dalit scholar," he added.

"More than 24 days are over since Vemula's suicide, but the NDA Government has not taken any serious action. Why any action has not been taken against the Vice Chancellor?" he asked.

"I want the Vice Chancellor to be suspended and the family of Rohith Vemula should be adequately compensated for the loss," he said.

Meanwhile, the SC /ST Teachers Forum of the University of Hyderabad have decided to go on a hunger strike, demanding the resignation of Vice Chancellor Appa Rao.

They demand incumbent Vice Chancellor Vipin Srivastava to resume administration.

However, the SC/ST Faculty Forum and SC/ST Officers Forum had earlier expressed "shock" over the decision to appoint Srivastava as officiating Vice-Chancellor and alleged that he headed the Executive Council Sub-Committee 'which has been responsible for the death of Rohith'. They also alleged that Srivastava was one of the 'accused' in the suicide of another Dalit student Senthil in 2008.

Earlier, 15 faculty members of the university had resigned from their administrative posts protesting against the interim Vice Chancellor.