March in Delhi on February 23 over Rohith's suicide

The Joint Action Committee for Social Justice of University of Hyderabad will take out a march in New Delhi on February 23 to demand justice for Rohith Vemula, the Dalit research scholar who committed suicide last month.

The students, workers, cultural activists, intellectuals will rally from Ambedkar Bhawan to Jantar Mantar.

The JAC, comprising various students' groups, is demanding a legislation 'Rohith Act' end caste discrimination in education.

It wants punishment for central ministers Smriti Irani and Bandaru Dattatrya, vice chancellor Appa Rao, BJP legislator Ramchandra Rao, university official Alok Pandey and ABVP leader Susheel Kumar for what it calls 'institutional murder' of Rohith.

JAC is also seeking removal of Appa Rao from the post of vice chancellor, job for a family member of Rohith in the university, a minimum compensation of Rs.50 lakh, withdrawal of false police cases against the five research scholars, appointment of a special public prosecutor in the case and a judicial inquiry into all cases of discrimination and harassment of Dalit, Adivasi, OBC, religious minority students in all higher educational institutions.

"It has been a month since the institutional murder of Rohith Vemula at the hands of BJP, ABVP and the HCU administration. Rohith was one of the five Dalit research scholars expelled from the hostel and faced social boycott for raising his voice against injustice perpetrated by the fascist and brahmanical forces in the country," JAC said in a statement.

It noted that instead of doing justice to Rohith, those involved have received promotions, shielded from judicial scrutiny and while the Dalit identity of Rohith has been questioned.

On Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the JAC said the government declared it 'anti-national' on the basis of fabricated intelligence reports, sensationalised news coverage and blatant conspiracy by the RSS-led BJP and ABVP.

It called for united fight against the attempts to establish a fascist rule in the country.