Rohit Vemula suicide: Protesting students send back interim VC

Students are seeking resignation of Vice Chancellor Appa Rao Podile

The interim Vice Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad, Vipin Srivastava, was on Wednesday sent back by the angry protesting students, who are demanding justice for Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, who committed suicide earlier this month.

Srivastava, who had come to hold discussions with the students, was forced to leave the university after the agitators raised slogans of 'go back'.

University's Vice Chancellor Appa Rao Podile, whose resignation is being sought by the protesting students, has gone on leave.

Some of the protesting students, who are on hunger strike, were earlier in the day shifted to heath centre of the university after their condition deteriorated. The protesting students had stated that the authorities should cater to the demands of the students and allow the university to function normally.

The impasse between the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the University of Hyderabad and the administration continued as the academic suspension entered its tenth day today.

Rohith Vemula, a Dalit research scholar, was found hanging at the Central University's hostel room on January 17.

He was among the five research scholars, suspended by the Hyderabad Central University (HCU) in August last year.

The HCU has already revoked suspension of the four students, following uproar over Vemula's suicide.