Hyderabad university VC's office ransacked

Hyderabad - 2Students demand sacking of Rao over Vemula suicide

By P S Jayaram

Published: Wed 23 Mar 2016, 7:36 PM

Tension prevailed at University of Hyderabad (UoH) campus here as a group of enraged students went on a rampage and attacked the office of the Vice-Chancellor P Appa Rao who resumed his duties on Tuesday after being forced to go on leave amid storm over the suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula.
The agitating students have been demanding removal of Appa Rao, holding him responsible for creating circumstances that drove Rohith to commit suicide in the hostel room on January 17.
Soon after resuming work, Rao called for a media conference at his office in the campus. However, the students got wind of the development, rushed to his office and smashed the furniture, computers and windows. They also assaulted the media personnel who gathered there for the press conference which was subsequently cancelled.
The Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel and the Telangana police arrived at the campus and brought the situation under control. Several students surrounded vice-chancellor's office and residence and shouted slogans against the central government. They blamed "dictatorial" attitude of the union government in allowing Rao to resume his duties.
"One of our main demands is the sacking of Appa Rao. How can he come back to the campus? It is over two months since the tragedy happened but no action has been initiated," a student leader said and demanded that the VC be arrested immediately.
Rao was forced to go on leave on January 24 and in his place Prof M Periasamy was serving as the in-charge vice-chancellor.
However, Rao's return to the campus triggered fresh trouble with angry students staging demonstration.
The students of Osmania University in the city have also joined the demonstration on campus.
"Since in-charge VC was not empowered to take decisions on promotions and recruitments, I was asked to return," Rao said.
Meanwhile, the BJP condemned the students' attack on VC and called it "undemocratic and unethical".
Rohith's suicide has stirred the nation's conscience. Though he did not blame anyone in his suicide note, his friends, student organisations and opposition parties have blamed the culture of caste discrimination practiced by university authorities for the tragedy.
Rohith, who was an active member of Ambedkar Students Association, was suspended along with four other Dalit students following their scuffle with a rival student leader.
news@khaleejtimes.com