Three days after tainted HCU VC Appa Rao Podile resumed office, family members of deceased Dalit scholar, Rohith Vemula, called for Podile’s arrest on Friday. Rohith’s mother and brother were speaking at the News Services and Syndicates Press Club in Hyderabad.
Radhika Vemula, Rohith’s mother said, “Arrest the VC and release the students who were protesting against him.”
Podile was one of the five persons, along with Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, who were booked for abetment of Rohith’s suicide and also for violations of the SC/ST Atrocities Act.
“How many days do we have to wait for my son's justice?” she asked, pointing out, “It has been more than two months and there has been no action on the culprits.”
“Students who are fighting for justice for my son are being targeted,” she added.
Rohith’s brother, Raja, criticized Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani and the Telangana CM while condemning police brutality against the students.
“Why did the police lathicharge us when we were organizing a peaceful protest?” asked Raja.
On the second day of protests, one PhD student was hospitalised, after police allegedly assaulted him.
“If he (Podile) has not done anything why was he hiding all these days? Why did he visit us that day at our residence after 9pm? Why has he come secretly?” asked Raja.
“Smriti Irani has quoted my brother as her son. Then why is she silent when so many kids of hers are not getting any food or water in the University?”
“KCR once said that he will come forward and help Andhra people, so why is he silent now?” added Raja.
“Just because I'm questioning the BJP government they will also call me ‘anti-national’, but they will have to prove it,” he concluded.