Congress demands Dattatreya's removal from union cabinet

New Delhi, Jan 18: The Congress on Monday, Jan 18 demanded that union minister Bandaru Dattatreya be removed from the cabinet as he was booked for abetment of suicide of a research scholar of the University of Hyderabad.

"The minister, against whom an FIR was filed, should immediately be removed from the cabinet. The vice chancellor and others involved in this crime should also be removed from their respective posts," Congress spokesperson R.P.N. Singh said.

Rohith Vemula, a second year research scholar of science, technology and society studies department, was found hanging from the ceiling of a room in the New Research Scholars' Hostel on Sunday night.

He was one of the five Dalit students suspended and expelled from the hostel. They were staging a protest on the campus for the past 15 days.

Dattatreya, minister of state for labour, had demanded action against the 'anti-national' and 'anti-social' elements on the campus.

Police in Hyderabad on Monday booked the minister and three others on charges of abetment of suicide and under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act following the suicide.

University vice chancellor Appa Rao and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) leaders Sushil Kumar and Vishnu were also booked.

IANS