JNU Students Union vice president Shehla Rashid leads a protest demonstration demanding justice for the Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula outside Shastri Bhavan in New Delhi on Wednesday. (PTI Photo)
Stepping up their agitation over the suicide of Hyderabad University scholar Rohith Vemula, students of JNU today protested outside the Human Resources Development Ministry demanding removal of Vice Chancellor Appa Rao Podile and withdrawal of police presence from the campus.
The students, who were stopped by police as they tried to march towards the ministry, have been raising three demands in connection with the suicide of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula who was found hanging at the Hyderabad Central University's hostel room on January 17.
A five-member delegation led by JNU students union Vice President Shehla Rashid Shora met ministry secretary VS Oberoi and submitted a memorandum in this regard.
"Our major demands include immediate removal of police presence in Hyderabad university campus, removal of Vice Chancellor and dropping of false charges against students unconditionally," Ms Shora said.
"The top official told us that ministry cannot do anything about removal of the VC as it comes under the purview of the Visitor. He also said that they can't intervene on issue of police presence as interventions are not being taken in good manner," she added.
The fresh protests over the issue come in wake of resumption of office by Vice Chancellor two-months after going on leave amid the storm following the suicide of Mr Vemula. Yesterday, the VC's official residence was vandalised by students and police had to baton charge another group during their protest against him resuming charge.
Meanwhile, JNU Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, who is out on bail in a sedition case, reached Hyderabad this morning where he was scheduled to address a meeting on the campus at the invitation of the Joint Action Committee for Social Justice, which had spearheaded an agitation earlier demanding "justice" for Mr Vemula.
However, he was denied permission by the university for the same.
In a clamp down, the authorities also barred outsiders including political leaders and mediapersons from entering the campus and suspended classes for four days.
JNU students who are caught in a row over an event on campus against hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised, have been protesting in the national capital ever since Mr Vemula's death demanding resignation of Education Minister Smriti Irani over the issue.
The students have also been demanding enactment of a "Rohith Act" to end caste based discrimination in educational institutions.