Kanhaiya Kumar welcomes Smriti Irani's exit from HRD Ministry

New Delhi, July 6: JNU student leader Kanhaiyar Kumar on Wednesday welcomed the exit of Smriti Irani from the HRD Ministry but said this was no "punishment" for the suicide of Dalit student Rohith Vemula.

After Smriti Irani was transferred to the Textiles Ministry, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union President said justice had not been served to Vemula, who committed suicide in Hyderabad.

"Justice for Rohith is still awaited. Cabinet reshuffle is not punishment…. Bye bye Smriti Irani," the student leader said.

He added that another minister, Bandaru Dattatreya, must be jailed for allegedly harassing Vemula, leading to his suicide.

Vemula was a PhD student at the University of Hyderabad who committed suicide on January 17, triggering widespread protests against Smriti Irani and Dattatreya who were blamed for the suicide.

Five Dalit students, including Vemula, were suspended in September following a clash with a leader of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

IANS