Dalit scholar suicide: Rahul to visit Hyderabad Univ. today

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi is set to visit the University of Hyderabad today to meet the students after the suicide of the Dalit scholar who was expelled from the university following a tussle with students affiliated with the student wing of the BJP, Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

One of the five dalit scholars, expelled from the University of Hyderabad 12 days ago, hanged himself to death on Sunday.

25-year-old Rohith Vemula, who belonged to Guntur district of Amravati, was doing his PhD in science technology and society studies for the past two years, before the scholar allegedly got involved in a tiff between two student groups in August last year.

The five researchers were supported by 10 other students' outfits on the campus including ASA, Students Federation of India, Dalit Students Union and National Students Association among others.

On Sunday, the students from each of the outfits had started relay hunger strike asking the university administration to take back the students all of whom hailed from backward socio-economic backgrounds.

The students protested against Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani and Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya.

The students demanded the revoking of the suspension of the five Dalit research scholars. They also demanded Dattatreya's apology for interfering in University matters and branding the students of University of Hyderabad as casteists, anti-nationals and extremists.