Dalit suicide issue: BSP demands legal action against Smriti Irani

Lucknow, Jan 20: BSP chief Mayawati today demanded legal action against Union Ministers Smriti Irani and Bandaru Dattatreya over the alleged suicide of a Dalit research scholar in Hyderabad Central University.

She also demanded the same action against the HCU Vice-Chancellor Appa Rao. "The attitude of the ministers against Dalit student Rohith Vemula was grossly condemnable and undemocratic. The party demands strict legal action against two central ministers and the VC, who forced Rohith to commit suicide," Mayawati said in a statement here today.

BSP supremo said that after independence such an atmosphere has been created in the country, where BJP ministers were making "mockery of constitutional dignity".

The party has also sent a fact finding committee led by Rajya Sabha MP and advocate Vir Singh to Hyderabad.

Rohith Vemula, who committed suicide on Sunday night, was among the five research scholars who were suspended by Hyderabad Central University in August last year and also one of the accused in the case of assault on a student leader.

They were also kept out of the hostel. Union Labour Minister Dattatreya and HCU Vice Chancellor Rao and three others were named in an FIR lodged on Monday with the Cyberabad police over the suicide of the Dalit student.

Fresh protests today rocked the HCU over the suicide even as several politicians headed to the city including YSR Congress leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury.

The incident has snowballed into a major issue with rivals of the ruling BJP wading into it and demanding removal of Union Ministers Smriti Irani and Bandaru Dattatreya, accusing them of being responsible for the death.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi had yesterday led the multi-party charge attacking the government and university Vice Chancellor Appa Rao, saying that the youngster was put in so much pain that he had no option but to kill himself.

PTI