Youth groups demand removal of Irani, Dattatreya from cabinet

Eleven youth organisations on Sunday demanded the removal of union ministers Smriti Irani and Bandaru Dattatreya as well as Hyderabad University Vice Chancellor Appa Rao Podile over the Rohith Vemula suicide case.

The also announced the formation of a joint platform -- Youth Against Communalism -- against what they dubbed the "atrocities of the communal forces".

"We demand the removal of Smriti and Dattatreaya from the union cabinet and Podile as vice chancellor," Communist Party of India-Marxist MP and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) president M.B. Rajesh told reporters here.

"We strongly condemn the attacks on universities unleashed by the Sangh Parivar and central government throughout the country. The Hyderabad University and Jawaharlal Nehru University are the latest victim in this ongoing series of communal attacks," he added.

Rajesh also demanded the withdrawal of sedition case against JNU Students Union president Kahaiya Kumar and others.

"Certain rowdy lawyers who assaulted journalists, JNU teachers and students at the Patiala House court (on February 15) and the JNUSU president (February 17) should also be arrested and strict action taken against them," Rajesh demanded.

He also sought strong action against Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi as "he was responsible for the entire fiasco in the court complex".

"The government is spreading blatant lies about the incidents in the JNU and Hyderabad University. Even morphed videos were created as evidences. We are launching this forum to unite the democratic youth organisations against the atrocities of the communal forces," Rajesh said.

This joint forum will hold an all-India convention here on March 15. It will launch protests across the country from March 23 to March 31.

The Youth Against Communalism includes representatives of the Democratic Youth Federation of India, All India Youth Forum, Revolutionary Youth Front, youth wings of political parties like Janata Dal-United, Rashtriya Janata Dal and MDMK among others.