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