Will Talk To PM About UoH, Probe Police Actions: KCR

Expressing concern over the alleged discrimination against dalits, the circumstances that led to UoH scholar Rohith Vemula's suicide and police "excesses" on the HCU campus by arresting 28 persons including students and professors in the wake of Vice Chancellor P Appa Rao's return, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao today assured the Assembly that he would take up the issues personally with Prime Minister Narendra Modi respecting the mood of the House that almost unanimously felt that Vice Chancellor Appa Rao's return to the UoH led to the arrests and chaos on the campus on March 23.

The Leader of the House asserted that he would talk to the Prime Minister on the demand for recalling the VC, and expressed hope that the Centre would respond in two or three days.

A high-level inquiry would also be ordered into the alleged police excesses on the students and a few faculty members, KCR stated.

He made these repeated assurances at a time when members of the Opposition parties including the Congress, BJP, MIM, YSR Congress and the Left parties targeted his government for its "inaction" over the incidents.

The Chief Minister said his government would take every possible step to prevent the recurrence of such incidents, and ensure peace in the universities.

KCR thoughtfully pacified the Opposition which in unison cornered the ruling Party during a debate on Rohith Vemula's suicide and the arrests made when JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar came to the UoH campus to extend support to Vemula's mother Radhika and the protesting students.

KCR however stated that the police often became the target of all sections irrespective of what they did. He said that it was their duty to do what they felt necessary to prevent violence and maintain order in a situation where irate students had a chance to pounce upon and even kill the VC in the heat of the moment, he said.

He also said that the HCU security men in police uniforms had added to the confusion.

The DGP and the Hyderabad and Cyberabad police commissioners had however been asked to pave the way for JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar to speak at the Sundarayya Vignan Kendra, he pointed out.

He also said that the recruitment of VCs for the State universities would be taken up soon.

KCR admitted that he did not pay a visit to the UoH campus even though AICC leader Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other top political leaders made a beeline to the place.