Rohith Vemula suicide: Protesting students pelt stones, policemen injured

 The Hyderabad Police on Tuesday evicted the protesting students of University of Hyderabad from outside the lodge of Vice Chancellor Appa Rao Podile, who rejoined work after nearly two months on leave.

The protesting students even pelted stones at the police officials, who tried to evacuate them. A few police officials were also injured in the incident. Meanwhile, the non teaching employees of the varsity have threatened to go on hunger strike demanding action against culprits of attack on VC lodge, which took place in the morning.

Appa Rao had gone on leave on January 24 amid massive protests on the campus over the suicide of Rohith Vemula.

Students being evacuated from Hyderabad University VC's lodge pelt stones at the police #RohithVemula pic.twitter.com/5Dq3oJCFE1

— ANI (@ANI_news) March 22, 2016

Rohith, 26, had committed suicide by hanging himself in the University of Hyderabad's campus in January. He was earlier suspended from the university hostel in August last year by the administration for allegedly attacking an ABVP leader. 

Raising slogans against the Vice Chancellor, agitating students barged into his residence (VC's lodge), broke window panes, smashed doors and television among other items, protesting against his resumption of duty.

Prof Podile, who is in the eye of a storm over Vemula's suicide on January 17, had proceeded on leave on January 24 as the agitating students demanded his resignation and held vigorous protests seeking "justice" for Vemula.

A battery of high-profile leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal had visited HCU at the height of protests. Based on a complaint by a section of students, Cyberabad police had registered a case against Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, Podile and three others in connection with the suicide. Podile was scheduled to hold a press conference this morning but it was cancelled following the violence.

"We are appealing to the police to arrest him (VC) first as he has not got any interim relief from the High Court on his petition (in the suicide case)," Prashant said. He claimed some of the ABVP members vandalised the VC's residence to tarnish the image of the agitating student community and divert the whole issue.

Some members belonging to ABVP later gathered at the VC lodge to prevent the protesters from entering the house. Speaking to reporters, Podile said, "I was having a meeting with some deans and members of the executive committee on how to handle the things in the university. Meanwhile, a group of students came, banged the doors, ransacked the office and resorted to violence of a magnitude which we have never seen in the university."

"This is a black day for the University of Hyderabad," he said. Our internal mechanisms will address if the students have some issues. Unfortunately, these group of students have broken everything. They have not given any representation... they have not even asked to talk. They just banged and broke the doors, Podile said.

"If any group of students can dictate who should be the Vice Chancellor, this is going to be a national problem not just in University of Hyderabad. Tomorrow, any hundred or fifty students can say this particular Vice Chancellor should be there.

"The students did not resort to a dialogue. They should have given me a representation. Without telling anything ransacking the office to this magnitude is uncalled for and not expected from students of University of Hyderabad. All the teachers feel that this is unbecoming of the students," he said.

Podile said he will seek security from local police following the "vandalism". "The matter is in the court. Judicial Commission is there (probing Vemula suicide incident). Let the report come. Why are they ransacking the office? This we cannot tolerate. We are going to seek the help of local police," he told reporters.

When asked about the proposed visit of JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar to HCU tomorrow, the VC said, "I have not given any permission for the meeting. There was no letter (requesting permission for meeting) from anyone on this. I will have to discuss with police and my colleagues then only I can comment."

He advised media not to sensationalise the issue and to verify facts before reporting. "Media should collect facts and then report. They should not look for sensation. They talk to two or three students and put out banner stories. That is not the way to project the university and damage the reputation of the university and we are worried about it," he added.