Refusing to bow down under the pressure, Vice Chancellor of Central University in Hyderabad P Appa Rao said that he won't resign in connection with the suicide of Dalit PhD scholar V Rohith.
Students from Delhi to Hyderabad are continuing their protest against the social boycott of Rohith and are demanding resignation of the Vice Chancellor and Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya. A case has also been registered against the duo in the suicide case.
"I won't submit my resignation. I will talk to students and try to pacify them. Students are in angry mood that is why they are unable to understand what is my role in the university. I want to talk to students and consider there demand. Students have the right to be aggravated as a precious life has been lost," said Rao in an exclusive interview to Rao.
Rohith along with four other Dalit students were suspended from the hostel for rest of their study period for allegedly attacking an ABVP leader. Based on the recommendations of a sub-committee of the Executive Council, the five were denied access to hostels on the campus except their classrooms and workshops related to their subject of study.
Defending the suspension of the students, Rao said, "It was a collective decision and not my alone decision to suspend him. We are subject to scrutiny by judiciary as no one is above law."
There are also allegations that the Vice Chancellor acted at the behest of the HRD Ministry as letters have surfaced wherein the ministry has asked about the action taken against the students.
Dattatreya had reportedly written to HRD Minister Smriti Irani after an ABVP activist was manhandled. ABVP had reacted sharply after some students unions protested death sentence given to 1993 blast accused Yakub Memon. It was in the wake of this incident that Dattatreya reportedly took up the matter with the HRD Ministry.
Refuting the allegations, Rao said that he did not even reply to those letters. " I ignored all the letters. I made it clear to the society that my faculty and students are not anti-national. The letters were treated as routine letter. I have not even responded on the letters. The MHRD referring the letters is not uncommon. I never received any calls from the ministry."
Rao also added that he will meet Rohith's family when the atmosphere is conducive. "It is my responsibility to meet Rohith's family members and I will definitely meet them. The Dean, registrar and other staff were not allowed to reach out to them as there was so much anger amongst the student that they did not allow anyone from the university to meet the family. We are ready to meet but the atmosphere is not conducive."
Earlier, the Hyderabad University Administration has issued a letter to the students appealing them to resume classes and resolve the issue amicably.
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