The students Hyderabad Central University (HCU) continued their protests on Thursday as well demanding justice to the family of Rohit Vemula, who committed suicide two weeks ago. They took objection to delay in removing Prof Apparao as vice chancellor, who, they allege, was responsible for the crisis on the campus.
Students went in rally to the biological science wing and stopped the staff and students entering the building to resume classes. There was some altercation between the protesters and the students who want the resumption of the classes. The protesters urged them to join the agitation as centre had delayed the justice to the family. Staff argued that students allow the classes run as already university lost ten days without any work and further closure of the university would affected the final semester. Protesting students, however, said they won’t allow the university function till their demands are met. They locked the rooms to prevent the resumption of classes.
There is rumor in the University that the HRD minister is likely to ask vice chancellor Apparao to resign from his post in the light of the finding of the two-member committee appointed to probe the circumstances that led to the suicide of Rohit Vemula oh January 17. VC has been asked to go on leave to placate the students.
The two-member team from the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD), which probed the reasons for the crisis on the campus, reportedly gave a clean chit to the MHRD Smrit Irani and labor minister Bandaru Dattatreya. The remport, according to sources, had put the entire blame on the university.
Meanwhile SC/ST Teachers Forum is gearing up to launch an indefinite relay hunger strike from Thursday demanding the resignation of vice chancellor Appa Rao and acting V-C Vipin Srivastava.
Schools and departments at the UoH remained closed on Wednesday as the All India Joint Action Committee for Social Justice observed a strike demanding justice to Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula.
As part of the protests, students from the Department of Fine Arts painted themselves in black and formed themselves into the shape of an arrow symbolizing Rohith Vemula as Ekalavya.
When acting VC Dr Vipin Srivastava arrived at UoH Shopping Complex where the students were holding protest, he was whisked away by security personnel as protesters got agitated.
