Apologise for abetting those behind Rohith Vemula’s death: Bhatti to BJP

New Delhi / Hyderabad: Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu demanded that the BJP apologize to the nation for rewarding and promoting those responsible for the tragic death of Rohith Vemula, a PhD scholar at the University of Hyderabad.

Speaking at a press conference at the AICC headquarters (Indira Bhavan) in Delhi on Friday, Bhatti said the contents of Rohith Vemula’s suicide note and the petitions submitted to university authorities before his death were deeply shameful and a matter of national concern. The Ambedkar Students Association had submitted a memorandum to the Hyderabad Central University Vice Chancellor demanding basic rights and dignity for Dalit students on campus. However, the university’s ABVP unit president, Sushil Kumar, unable to digest this, lodged a complaint with the VC labeling Rohith and four other Ambedkar Students’ Association members as “anti-nationals”—a complaint he also reportedly took to BJP leadership.

The Deputy CM alleged that a systematic campaign was launched against Rohith and the others, with the VC being pressured from above—particularly by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. Then BJP MLC Ramchander Rao allegedly exerted pressure on local police to file cases against the five students. Unable to withstand the mounting pressure from all directions, the university administration expelled Rohith and his peers from the hostel, which pushed Rohith to take the extreme step, Bhatti Vikramarka explained.Meanwhile, Sushil Kumar, considered one of the primary culprits, has been appointed Assistant Professor in Delhi, he added.