Dalit scholar death: Student leaders trash Irani's statement

Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani has made a "wrong statement" regarding the protests in Hyderabad Central University over the alleged suicide of a Dalit scholar and the ongoing row in the institution, student leaders spearheading the agitation claimed here today.
"We would like refute each and every point," a leader of the agitating students said.
The students held consultations after Irani addressed a press conference in New Delhi.
He said the Dalit and student movements have come together in the university following the alleged suicide of Vemula Rohith Chakravarthi.
The minister mentioned that an executive council in the university had Dalit representatives but the body only had a co-opted SC member, he said.

On Irani's statement that a Congress leader (MP Hanumantha Rao) had also written on issues concerning the university, he said the minister should direct the university to implement the SC and ST sub-plan.

The minister stated that the suicide note of Rohit was the only document made available to her but the deceased had written to the Vice Chancellor earlier, he said.
The issues should not be made a BJP versus Congress issue as it is an issue of Rohit's alleged suicide and human rights, according to him.
The minister described the punishment given to the student as "lenient" but "social boycott" and "institutional murder" cannot be "lenient", the student leader said.

The students demanded the arrest of all those figuring in the FIR including Vice Chancellor Appa Rao Podile.
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Hyderabad Lok Sabha member and MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, while speaking before the protesting students tonight, said Irani should have visited the varsity.
"We were expecting the minister would say 'I am coming to Hyderabad. I want to meet Rohit's mother. I want to meet those boys who are sitting on strike for the last 15-16 days. I want to hear first-hand from them.' This would have been a right step in the right direction. Instead (she was) exonerating everyone, giving a clean chit to the Vice Chancellor who is equally responsible for what happened to Rohit," said Owaisi, who had addressed the students yesterday too.

Alleging that BJP was opposed to egalitarian idea of India, he said such attempts should be foiled.