Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal insist on to include Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani’s name in the First Information Report (FIR) on the suicide of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula.
Mr.Kejriwal visited the University of Hyderabad to meet the students and family members of Rohith Vemula who committed suicide. On the fourth day of the agitation 10 Dalit faculty members of the university resigned from their administrative posts protesting the ‘misleading’ remarks of the Union HRD Minister.
Kejriwal demanded the arrest of Union Ministers Ms. Irani and Bandaru Dattatreya and others named in the FIR because it contained non-bailable sections. He also said that they need to apologise to the nation over the suicide by the Dalit student, questioning their “interference” in the internal affairs of the institution.
Others who are accused in the FIR included MLC N. Rmachandra Rao and ABVP leader N. Susheel Kumar.
The issue took a political turn with allegations that the extreme step taken by Rohith was a result of discrimination. Even BSP chief Mayawati has demanded legal action against Union ministers Smriti Irani and Bandaru Dattatreya. CPI national general secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy and secretary D. Raja met the protesting students.
Mr. Raja said: “Mr. Modi found time to express his condolences to Peshawar victims but strangely did not find enough time to condole the death of Rohith Vemula’.
Jayaprakash Narayan, national president of Lok Satta Party also met the students.
There is no proof of violence between Ambedkar Students’ Association and the ABVP. Kejriwal said it was strange that the ABVP university incharge Susheel Kumar had been shifted to hospital exactly two days later, complaining of injuries for which there was no conclusive medical evidence.