Arrest Rohith Vemula "Killers": Teesta Setalvad

The Solidarity Struggle Committee For Justice To Rohith Vemula on Monday demanded that the Telangana government consider the National SC Commission's order on those who abetted the suicide, and arrest them under the SC/ST Prevention Of Atrocities Act.

In a meeting held in Prakasam Hall at Gandhi Bhavan, the members of the SSJRV including Dr K Y Ratnam (KNPS), Abhinav Buram (KNPS) and civil rights activist Teesta Setalvad demanded that the government order the arrest of University Of Hyderabad Vice-Chancellor Appa Rao Podile, Union ministers Bandaru Dattatreya and Smriti Irani, MLC Ramchander Rao and ABVP leader Sushil Kumar, who were allegedly responsible for abetting the suicide of the research student.

Setalvad said that the surge in uprisings against "dalit oppression" in the nation were the result of the BJP's "facist Hindutva" rule.

Ratnam, Buram and Bandaru condemned the "apathy" of the TRS-led government towards the circumstances of Vemula's suicide, and accused them of being anti-dalit.

Vemula's mother, who was also present in the meeting, said, "If PM Modi believed in the ideals of B R Ambedkar, he should arrest the VC whose actions led to Rohith's suicide."

Other members of the meeting including Dr Laxminarayana, Surepally, Anupama, Tathgatha, Vijay, Durga Bhavani, C Kashim and U Sambasiva Rao also expressed their views on the issue during the meeting.

Representatives from the KNPS, DSU, CMS, TSA, SIO, CLC, JAC UoH, TVV, PDM, Virasam, TDF, TPF, SC/ST Officers Forum, JVSS, PAV and AMA expressed solidarity with the dharna and demanded the immediate arrest of UoH VC Apparao, Bandaru Dattatreya, Ramchandra Rao and Smriti Irani.