Report of Commission aimed at saving Ministers, HCU VC: Vemula’s brother

Hyderabad: Rohith Vemula’s brother today alleged that the report of the commission, constituted by HRD ministry after the Hyderabad university scholar’s death, was aimed at saving BJP Union Ministers, Vice-Chancellor of Hyderabad Central University and ABVP members.

“The entire commission report has aimed at saving BJP Union Ministers, Podile Apparao (HCU Vice-Chancellor) and BJP MLC Ramachandra Rao along with ABVP members.

“Despite District Magistrate, Guntur’s report, National Commission for Scheduled Castes Report which clearly stated my brother Rohith Vemula as Scheduled Caste, the present government is making all efforts to divert the reports of authenticated bodies,” Raja Vemula said in a Facebook post.

The Justice Roopanwal Commission, in its report to the HRD ministry, has given a clean chit to Union Ministers Smriti Irani and Bandaru Dattatreya, sources said.

The University authorities too have been absolved of any blame for Vemula’s death as the Commission has held that they were not working under political pressure.

“The agenda of the BJP and RSS are clearly manifested in the report of the commission, which does not take in to account the butchering and enslaving of Dalits, raping and murdering Dalit woman, pronouncement of social boycotts in villages and educational institutions, instead attack on the affirmative policies extended through reservations, and demand for a ban on reservations,” he alleged.

Raja claimed his mother Radhika Vemula was the one who endured a lot of sacrifices and discrimination.

“She lost her son Rohith Vemula on account of the socio-political victimisation he had undergone along with four other dalit research scholars from Ambedkar Students Association,” he said.

Raising questions on Vemula’s Dalit status, the Commission has said the material on record did not establish it and attributed his suicide to personal reasons, according to sources.

–PTI