More than two months after her son’s death, mother of deceased Dalit scholar Rohit Vemula initiated a sit-in protest in front of the main entrance of the Hyderabad Central university on Wednesday night.
This came after the police on the instruction of Vice Chancellor Appa Rao denied entry to outsiders inside the campus.
Radhika Vemula wanted to hold a demonstration inside, but was prevented from entering the HCU campus, HCU Chief Security Officer TV Rao told PTI.
"She wanted to hold a dharna inside the campus. We stopped her from entering. She and around 20 students then sat on a dharna in front of the HCU gate," Rao said.
Raja Vemula, the younger brother of Rohit, said his mother wanted to meet the students who were injured yesterday in a police lathicharge.
"They did not allow her to enter the HCU campus, hence she sat on a dharna," Raja said.
Similarly, JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar was also denied entry in the evening.
The protesting students raised slogans against HCU Vice- Chancellor Appa Rao Podile, demanding his immediate removal from the post. They also sought the release of students and faculty members arrested in connection with yesterday's vandalism of the VC's lodge and stone-pelting.
The News Minute earlier on the day had reported how the campus was turned into a fortress with the presence of policemen and strict vigil by the authorities.
As per the VC’s instruction, no outsiders were allowed inside the campus including the media.
OB vans of media houses were parked outside the campus as the main gate was the only through which entry and exit was permitted into the campus.
This renewed unrest at the university campus started on Tuesday after VC Appa Rao Podile decided to resume office after two months leave.
VC Appa Rao was one of the five persons along with union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and three others booked for abetment of Rohith’s suicide and also for violations of the SC/ST Atrocities Act following nationwide protests.