A day after Hyderabad University PhD scholar Rohith Vemula, one of the five Dalit students suspended by the university, committed suicide, the Joint Action Committee for Social Justice on Monday came out with a press statement demanding justice for Rohith and his family.
The statement said that Rohith had hung himself with a flag of Ambedkar Student's Association of which he was an active member. Though he came to the hunger strike organised by JAC (UoH) on Sunday morning he later reportedly went missing only to be found hanging himself in his friend's hostel room at 6:30pm. Left and other progressive organisations, Osmania JAC, EFLU and MANUU joined the protest.
The students did not let the police take the body from the hostel until the police lathi charged them and took the body forcefully.
The release called Rohith's death a murder and said "blood is on all our hands".
JAC's demands:
Asked the administration to talk to them and VC to meet and until then they will not allow the university to function.
Demanded that VC Appa Rao, union minister Bandaru Dattatreya, BJP MLC Rameshwar Rao, the ABVP president Nandanam Susheel Kumar and the chief proctor Alok Pandey, who according to JAC were collectively responsible for the fake cases filed against the five Dalit students, be punished.
Justice to be delivered to Rohith's family.
Remove Appa Rao from the post of Vice Chancellor.
Employ a family member from Rohith's family and give Rs 50 lakh compensation.
