Modi’s tears fail to douse Uoh fire

Students term PM’s remarks on Rohith’s suicide ‘insulting’, vow to intensify agitation

• Angry students turn down Union Minister’s appeal for calling off the stir
• Fast by seven students entersfourth day

Hyderabad: Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his agony over the suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, students of University of Hyderabad are far from being solaced. The agitating students on Saturday termed Modi’s remarks over the incident as ‘insulting’, and vowed to step up their agitation. They said the Prime Minister’s ‘inaction reflected his ‘political interests’.

The students rejected an appeal by Minister of State for HRD Upendra Kushwaha who, on a visit to the city, asked them to call off their agitation and assured them of justice, a day after the Centre decided to set up a judicial commission to look into the suicide of Rohith following his suspension by the
varsity.

Voicing ‘dissatisfaction’ over remarks by Modi on Friday at a university in Lucknow, the Joint Action Council (JAC) spearheading the agitation asked if the Prime Minister would now take action against his Ministers. “It is highly insulting to have received a condolence statement from Prime Minister Narenda Modi. He has referred to Rohith Vemula as Bharat Mata’s son.

Joint Action Committee for Social Justice condemns in the strongest possible words, the appropriation of Rohith's politics,” the JAC said in a statement. “Rohith Vemula and the other socially boycotted always stood against the Hindutva and Manuvadi politics which the BJP Ministers proudly stand for,” it said.

“It is under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Delhi Police brutally lathi-charged the protesting students, male police officers manhandled women students and detained them. His complicity and inaction on the entire episode of events that unfolded in University of Hyderabad clearly reflects his political interests,” it alleged.

The outfit asked if Modi would “take action against the BJP Ministers for the injustice meted out to Rohith Vemula and the other socially boycotted research scholars.” It may be recalled that Modi on Friday expressed grief over Rohith's death saying he felt the pain. “When there is news that a youth of my country, Rohith, was forced to commit suicide, what his family must have gone through. Mother India has lost a son.

There will be reasons, there will be politics (surrounding it) but the fact remains that a mother has lost her son. I feel the pain very well,” a visibly emotional Modi had said. Meanwhile, the hunger strike by seven students entered the fourth day on Saturday while their colleagues continued other forms of protests.

G Prabhakar, one of the fasting students, said they would like to continue with the fast even as doctors expressed concern over their health. “We want to continue our fast. Our demands are not yet fulfilled. They say Modi talked in Lucknow yesterday and a judicial committee is appointed and all.

You appoint a judicial commission, no problem, but take action against people who actually caused this death,” he said. “Dismiss Appa Rao, the primary accused, from Vice Chancellor post. Arrest Smriti Irani and Bandaru Dattatreya, who wrote letters to university. Without arresting them, we done get confidence,” Prabhakar said.

The JAC said, "After killing Rohith, Appa Rao Podile has put these lives (of fasting students) in danger. JAC for Social Justice reiterates that students will intensify the ongoing struggle until all our five demands are met.”

The demands are removal of the Vice Chancellor, punishing those responsible for Rohith's death, dropping the alleged false cases against students and unconditional revocation of their suspension, giving employment to a member of Rohith's family and compensation of Rs 50 lakh to his kin.