Hyderabad University takes back four suspended Dalit students

The students were suspended for allegedly assaulting ABVP leader N Susheel Kumar.

Hyderabad

: Hyderabad Central University on Thursday terminated the punishment of four student who were suspended on August 5 for allegedly assaulting ABVP leader N Susheel Kumar.

Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya had written a letter to the HRD Minister in August urging action and claiming that the “Hyderabad University has in the recent past, become a den of casteist, extremist and anti-national politics”.

He cited the attack on the ABVP leader and stated that the university administration had turned into \"a mute spectator to such events.\"

Students of the university alleged that Dattatreya's letter sought action against research scholars including Vemula. They demanded that the police register a case under SC/ST Atrocity Act against Dattatreya.

The suspension being revoked comes after ten professors belonging to SC/ST community resigned from administrative posts in the University of Hyderabad (UoH), in response to the 'fabricated statements' by Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani over Rohith Vemula's suicide.

\"In response to the Honourable Minister's (Smriti Irani) fabricated statements, we the Dalit (SC/ST) faculty and officers lay down our administrative positions\" said a press statement by UoH SC/ST Teachers and Officers Forum.

\"We express our solidarity with students who are protesting against the death of Rohith Vemula and demand the immediate revocation of suspension and removal of police cases filed against our students,\" it added.

The press release further stated, \"It (sub-committee of executive council) was headed by an upper caste professor Vipin Srivastava and there are no Dalit faculty member in the sub-committee.\"

\"It was headed by an upper caste professor and there are no Dalit faculties in this subcommittee. Incidentally, the dean of student welfare who happens to be a Dalit was notionally co-opted an ex-officio member of the committee. It is unfortunate that since its inception, no Dalit representation has been given in this council,\" it said.

On Wednesday, Irani termed the ongoing protest on Vemula's suicide as 'malicious' the attempt to 'project it as a caste battle'.

\"This is not a Dalit versus non- Dalit issue as being projected by some to ignite passion,\" Irani told a press conference, while rejecting allegations that her Ministry had put pressure on the University to suspend Vemula.