Congress, Left hit out at Rohith Vemula report

New Delhi: The Congress and the Left parties hit out at the report of the one-member enquiry commission looking into the death of scholar Rohith Vemula in Hyderabad Central University. Former judge of the Allahabad high court A. K. Roopanwal, who was appointed by the HRD Ministry in his report to the University Grants Commission (UGC) found that the young research scholar was a troubled individual and was unhappy for several reasons. 

Reacting sharply senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said, “when senior ministers pronounce judgments even when the report is not out what can the member of the enquiry committee do? Eventually the report will also come out like that only.” The report also dismissed that Rohith Vemula and his batch mates from the hostel were suspended by university administration under political pressure.

In November 2015 the executive council of the university had expelled five students from the hostel and barred their access to public places in the campus Rohith Vemula being one of them. This had happened after there was a scuffle in the campus between the two groups. All of the five students were said to be dalits. 

However the students were allowed to attend lectures and carry on their research.

D Raja, a Rajya Sabha MP from CPI also hit out at the report he said that the report should be rejected. Speaking to this newspaper Mr. Raja added, “the question is that why are the attacks being made against students from weaker sections of the society be it the Hyderabad Central University or JNU.”

The Rohith Vemula issue had turned into a political slugfest with the Congress blaming the government.  Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi had also visited Hyderabad to participate in the candle light march in memory of Vemula.