Rohit Vemula suicide: Protests held across Delhi, 30 students detained

New Delhi: Fresh protests by students from universities across Delhi over the alleged suicide by a Dalit research scholar today rocked the national capital, following which 30 of them were detained by police.

While a delegation of students, who had yesterday staged a protest at Jantar Mantar and outside the office of the HRD Ministry, visited Hyderabad University campus today to express solidarity with the agitating students there, scores of them continued their demonstrations here.

 

A group of students under the banner of Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) gathered at the Connaught Place's Central Park where 30 of them were detained. According to police officials, keeping law and order situation in mind 30 agitating students were detained and released hours later.

Jamia Millia Islamia students also took out a rally on the campus in solidarity with the expelled Dalit students of Hyderabad University, and to protest the suicide of Rohith Vemula, one of the expelled students.

Imran Khan, a member of the Jamia Students Forum, said Rohith committed suicide due to the unbearable stress put on him by the university administration.

While another student, Meeran Haider, demanded that the HRD Minister resign and the vice-chancellor of Hyderabad University be dismissed.

Twenty-six-year-old Vemula Rohit, a PhD scholar, was found hanging in a room at the Central University's hostel on Sunday.

He was among five research scholars who were suspended by Hyderabad Central University (HCU) in August last year and also one of the accused in the case of assault on an ABVP leader. They were also kept out of the hostel. The suspension was revoked later.

 

Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and Hyderabad University Vice Chancellor were named in an FIR over the death of the scholar, which triggered massive protests and demands for their removal from their posts.

Earlier in the day, hitting back at political rivals, HRD Minister Smriti Irani had accused them of attempting to "instigate" students all over the country on the issue and dismissed demands for her resignation.