Hyderabad protest part of fight against intolerance: Trinamool

Expressing solidarity with the protesting Hyderabad university students, the Trinamool Congress on Wednesday said it was part of the fight against "intolerance".

A two-member Trinamool MP delegation, led by its leader in the Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien, spent a long time at the university campus on Wednesday and addressed the students demanding justice for Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula who committed suicide.

O'Brien and Trinamool Lok Sabha member Pratima Mondal had flown to Hyderabad from Kolkata on Tuesday.

Extending support to the agitating students, O'Brien countered allegations that Rohith's death was being politicised.

"If showing solidarity with students is a political act, yes, we are politicising the issue. If supporting a students' movement is politicisation, so be it. If demanding justice for Rohith is politicisation, so be it."

Promising that his party would ensure that the incident remained in the collective memory of the nation, O'Brien said: "Rohith, if you are watching, we will continue to fight on your behalf. We need more Rohiths in the fight against intolerance."