Students protest in Kolkata over Dalit scholar's suicide

A section of students of Jadavpur University boycotted classes here on Wednesday in protest against the suicide of Hyderabad Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula.

The protesting students said they have also expressed solidarity with Deborshi Chakraborty, a research scholar and a former student of Presidency University who began a hunger strike on Friday, demanding the resignation of union ministers Smriti Irani and Bandaru Dattatreya in connection with the suicide.

Chakraborty has been sitting in protest at a make-shift shelter outside the Jadavpur campus.

"We are supporting his protest," a student said.

On Tuesday, a rally in the city by the ultra-left United Students' Democratic Front (USDF) protesting over Vemula's suicide turned violent.

Widespread protests have rocked India following the death of Vemula, who committed suicide on January 17 following his suspension along with four other Dalit students over an alleged clash with a leader of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

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