The University of Hyderabad (UoH), which has witnessed nation-wide uproar following the suicide of dalith scholar Rohith Vemula in January, last year, has again witnessed attack on dalit and OBC students. But this time the attackers were allegedly a group of Federation of India (SFI) members, who were in the forefront along with dalith students, in fight against ABVP and BJP forces.

They were allegedly thrashed two Dalit and three OBC students on UoH campus. The five were attacked following an argument between the SFI members and MA student Karthik Mulkala. K Jaswanth Simone, an M Phil student.

Jaswanth Simone had earlier written an article explaining why Dalit PhD scholar Rohith Vemula had left Marxists. He was beaten yesterday when he tried to rescue Mulkala. He was taken to a hospital and later discharged. The other students assaulted were identified as Kranthi Madiga, Chandan Kumar Mishra, Zakir, Ditty Suresh and a guest of Mulkala.

According to Mulkala, a close friend of Vemula, the trouble started after SFI students asked Chandan Kumar Mishra, an MPhil student, for a match box. When he said he did not have one, they asked him to fetch one which he refused to do so. Meanwhile, one SFI member picked up an argument with him over their political views after which they were surrounded and started beating them.

Mulkala blamed caste prejudices for the “unprovoked attack’’, saying that they were attacked for their political views as they belong to Dalit and OBC communities. He added that their attackers belong to forward castes. “This does not happen with ABVP or NSUI members. They beat up students from backward castes especially if they have their own political views and are critical of SFI.’’

Stating that they are politically unaffiliated, Mulkala wondered that why this brutal attack on them when they are not Ambedkarites or members of Ambedkar Students Association. They also identified attackers and said they would lodge a police complaint if the university administration does not take any action.