January 08, 2025 08:56 pm (IST)
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Rohith Vemula's death : Dalit Professors accuse Smriti Irani of making fabricated statement
Hyderabad, Jan 21 (IBNS) Dalit professors at the Hyderabad University have threatened to quit their administrative posts in protest against Wednesday's statement of education minister Smriti Irani on the events that led to the death of research scholar Rohith Vemula, reports said.
In a statement, the professors accused Irani of making "fabricated statements" and said she had "misrepresented facts" by saying that that a panel which decided on punishment for Rohith and four other Dalit students, included Dalit faculty.
"It is unfortunate that since its inception, no Dalit representation has been given in the executive council of the Hyderabad University," they said, and accused the minister of trying to "mislead the country," and "deflecting the issue to absolve her of responsibility."
Rohith, 26, hanged himself on Sunday, days after he and four other Dalit students were suspended by the university for allegedly assaulting an activist of the BJP's student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. Their access to the hostel and cafeteria was barred, though they were allowed in classes and the library.
Massive student protests have been taking place in Hyderabad and in other cities over Rohith's death. The protesters allege that the five Dalit students were subjected to caste discrimination.
They also allege that Irani's ministry pushed for the students to be punished by sending five reminders to the university's Vice Chancellor after another union minister Bandaru Dattatreya wrote to the Education Ministry demanding action against them.
Irani said at a press conference on Wednesday that Rohith Vemula's suicide is being misrepresented with "malicious intent" as "a Dalit vs non-Dalit confrontation."
She also denied that her ministry pushed for the students to be punished. She described the letters that her ministry sent to the university as standard procedure for complaints filed by parliamentarians.
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