How the ABVP-BJP Killed Rohit Velmula: A Short History of Events that Led to ‘Suicide’

Murder by a Manuvadi administation and saffron groups. 

A letter from BJP MP and labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya led to his expulsion.

Rohit Vemula, a 28-year-old, hailing from Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, was a Ph.D second year student. He committed suicide a few hours back in his hostel room. It wasn’t a suicide. It was murder by the University of Hyderabad administration and the goons of ABVP-RSS-BJP…. 

The entire issue started a few weeks back, when the Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) organised a protest march UoH against the attack by ABVP on Montage Film Society in Delhi University, which was screening a documentary movie ‘Muzaffarnagar Baaqi Hai’. 

In response to this protest, local ABVP leader Susheel Kumar passed a comment on Facebook calling ASA members ‘goons’, for which later he submitted a written apology. The matter was almost settled before the next day when things took a dramatic turn. Next morning, Susheel kumar alleged that about 30 students belonging to the ASA had beaten him up and he had to be hospitalized. 

However, the University’s Proctorial Board which conducted an enquiry with a medical examiner could not find any proof of injuries on Susheel Kumar. Security guards present at the scene also did not confirm the incident. There is a quote from the findings of the board; 

“The board could not get any hard evidence of beating of Mr. Susheel kumar either from Mr Krishna Chaitanya or from the reports submitted by Dr. Anupama. Dr. Anupama’s reports also could not link or suggest that the surgery of the Susheel Kumar is the direct result of the beating.” 

After this, the board decided to warn both groups. However, the final report of the board blamed the ASA activists for causing harm to Susheel Kumar and ordered the suspension of five students. It is said that whole picture of the matter changed after BJP MLC Ramachandra Rao met formar vice- chancellor Prof. R.P. Sharma. BJP MP and union labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya wrote to the union Human Resources Development Minister Smriti Irani and allegedly forced the university to expel the dalit scholars. 

The decision of the Proctorial body reads thus; 

“Based on the Medical officer report (explained by Dr. Anupama), main complainant Susheel Kumar’s deposition and pictures by him and the deposition of two eyewitnesses (names are kept confidential) of the incident, it was evidently cleared that Mr. Susheel Kumar was abused, beaten, forced to write apology letter by a group of more than 30 students, lead by Prashant. The main and most active students involved and named by the complainant and mostly confirmed by eyewitnesses, in abusing and hitting are Prashant, Rohit, Seshu, Vijay and Sunkanna.” 

Following the decision of suspension, a protest was organized by ASA, and in an open discussion with former vice-chancellor Prof. RP Sharma on the fallacies of the enquiry and the decision taken, he immediately revoked the suspension, subject to constitution of a new committee to enquire into the incident afresh. But, the present vice-chancellor Prof P Apparao did not order a fresh enquiry and kept the suspended students in the dark while a committee from Executive Council took a decision of suspension. 

A written statement was released by Joint Action Committee for Social Justice (UoH) terming the decision ‘shockingly atrocious’ and ‘incomprehensible’. It also states that immediately after the appointment of Prof. P. Apparao as VC under the direction of the new BJP-led Union government, the decision to ostracize the dalit research scholars from hostels, common places, administrative building, and students’ union election was taken without conducting any fresh enquiry into the incident. 

The Executive Council, the apex body of the University, arrived at this decision of suspension without conducting any enquiry. The decision translated to a kind of social boycott. 

The expelled students all belong to economically weak families and have been protesting in front of the hostel for the past ten days demanding revocation of the suspension. But, the sons of Manu in the administration turned a blind eye towards them. Now they have taken Rohit’s life. They are thirsting for more dalit blood, to feed the upper caste sanghis. 

A large number of students are right now sitting beside his body,refusing to let the state touch him without registering FIR against the actual murderers. 

courtesy- The companion 

#UoH #DalitLivesMatter

Courtesy: indiaresists.com