Several Leaders Come Out In Support Of Rohith Vemula

It's hard to say if they are genuinely concerned or are fishing in troubled waters, but several prominent political leaders have come out in support of Rohith Vemula, the research scholar (Ph. D. student) who committed suicide in the University of Hyderabad campus of alleged harrassment.

Demanding immediate action against those responsible for the suicide of Vemula, MIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi said that University Vice-Chancellor Appa Rao Podile had no moral right to continue in the post.

Owaisi, who visited the UoH, enquired about the incident and expressed solidarity with the agitating dalit students. Speaking to the media later, the MIM supremo said that VC Podile should be immediately removed from the post.

He also demanded that the Centre take immediate action if any Union minister was involved in the incident.

Rahul Gandhi visited the university, too, and asked for Bandaru Dattatreya's and the VC's resignations.

Telangana TDP working president Revanth Reddy too deplored the suicide. Terming the incident as unfortunate, Reddy demanded an inquiry into the circumstances that led to the suicide.

Former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Mayavati sent two representatives to Hyderabad on behalf of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to elicit the facts behind the suicide.

"Virasam" leader V Vara Vara Rao also visited the university and alleged that the governments were adopting suppressive policies towards the students.

He demanded that the government punish all those who caused Vemula to commit suicide, severely. He also sought an impartial inquiry into the policies for SC students being adopted by the universities of the country.

Meanwhile, University students staged a protest in front of the two-member committee appointed by the Union government to go into Vemula's suicide. They demanded that the committee immediately remove Vice-Chancellor Podile from his post.