JAC to Hold Rally Against Roopanwal Panel Report on Vemula

Terming as politically motivated the finding of report of Justice Roopanwal Commission on Rohit Vemula, the Joint Action Committee for Social Justice at University of Hyderabad (UoH) said it will hold a protest rally.

Under the banner of 'Justice For Rohit Vemula' a protest rally would be held from the campus to university's main gate this evening, said the JAC for Social Justice, which is spearheading the protests over the scholar's death.

Vemula’s suicide on January 17 had sparked massive protests at UoH, popularly known as HCU, as well as outside resulting in a fierce political slugfest, with a string of political parties and Dalit organisations siding with students and accusing the BJP and varsity administration of being anti-Dalit.

Raising questions over the Dalit status of Rohit Vemula, the Commission constituted by the HRD Ministry after Vemula's death on January 17 this year, had said the material on record did not establish it and attributed his suicide to personal reasons.

The Justice Roopanwal Commission, in a report submitted to the Ministry, had given a clean chit to Union Ministers Smriti Irani and Bandaru Dattatreya.

The Commission's report is politically motivated and acted in favour of the accused in the atrocities and abatement of suicide on Rohit Vemula, the JAC alleged.

The JAC further said that Commission crossed its mandate of enquiring into the flaws in the institutional mechanisms identified by the MHRD three-member Committee, and instead chose to comment extensively on the caste of Rohit Vemula.

Vemula's suicide on January 17 had sparked massive protests at UoH, popularly known as HCU, as well as outside resulting in a fierce political slugfest, with a string of political parties and Dalit organisations siding with students and accusing the BJP and varsity administration of being anti-Dalit.

UoH had witnessed sporadic protests since Vemula's death, with students demanding removal of Appa Rao Podile from the Vice-Chancellor's post. Appa Rao and others were earlier booked under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and for abatement of Vemulas suicide.