Hyderabad: The Joint Action Committee for Social Justice of University of Hyderabad is taking out a march in New Delhi to demand justice for Rohith Vemula, the Dalit research scholar who committed suicide last month.
According to reports, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi is likely to join the march. The Aam Aadmi Party supporters are also participating in the march.
The students, workers, cultural activists, intellectuals are rallying from Ambedkar Bhawan to Jantar Mantar.
The JAC, comprising various students' groups, is demanding a legislation 'Rohith Act' end caste discrimination in education.
It wants punishment for central ministers Smriti Irani and Bandaru Dattatrya, vice chancellor Appa Rao, BJP legislator Ramchandra Rao, university official Alok Pandey and ABVP leader Susheel Kumar for what it calls 'institutional murder' of Rohith.
The JAC is also seeking removal of Appa Rao from the post of vice chancellor, job for a family member of Rohith in the university, a minimum compensation of Rs 50 lakh, withdrawal of false police cases against the five research scholars, appointment of a special public prosecutor in the case and a judicial inquiry into all cases of discrimination and harassment of Dalit, Adivasi, OBC, religious minority students in all higher educational institutions.
It noted that instead of doing justice to Rohith, those involved have received promotions, shielded from judicial scrutiny and while the Dalit identity of Rohith has been questioned.
(With IANS inputs)
