Dalit scholar suicide case: Ambedkar Sena burns Irani's effigy

Phagwara, Jan 19: The activists of Punjab Ambedkar Sena Moolnivasi today took out a protest march and burnt effigy of Union Minister Smriti Irani and demanded sacking of Union MoS for Labour Bandaru Dattatreya over the suicide on Sunday by a dalit scholar in University of Hyderabad.

Led by the Sena’s state President Harbhajan Suman, and supported by BSP, the protesters began the march from Ambedkar Park in Hargobindnagar locality. After passing through Central Town, they converged at the Traffic Light crossing on NH-1 and burnt Irani’s effigy, briefly disrupting the traffic, the police said.

Protesters shouted slogans against the Central government and BJP for its alleged anti-dalit policies and also submitted a memorandum to SDM Balbir Raj Singh.

Addressed to the President of India, the memorandum demands sacking of Union MoS for Labour Bandaru Dattatreya for his alleged role in disciplinary action taken by the university against the five dalit scholars.

Sena chief Harbhajan Suman, BSP’s former state General Secretary Jarnail Nangal and Phagwara Councilor Purnima Suman alleged that Irani and Bandaru "pressurised" the university to take action against the dalit scholars.

"Both Irani and Bandaru had pressurised the University authorities after ABVP leaders had written letters to the Ministers for it," they alleged.

They demanded arrest of ABVP leaders who were allegedly responsible for committing atrocities on the dalit scholars, forcing one of them to commit suicide.

They demanded that all the culprits in the case should be arrested under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, besides relevant sections of IPC, including murder.

PTI