Hyderabad: Despite Union Human Resource and Development (HRD) Minister Smriti Irani's attempt to defend the Centre over the suicide of a Dalit scholar, fierce protests continued on Wednesday by the students at the Hyderabad University as they even took to burning her effigy.
Chanting slogans against the Centre and Irani, Hyderabad University students have raised a 6-point demand seeking justice for Rohith Vemula.
Demand #1 - Compensation of Rs 5 crore to Rohith Vemula's family
Demand #2 - Job to Rohith Vemula's kin in the university
Demand #3 - Sack Vice-Chancellor Prof. Appa Rao Podile
Demand #4 - Drop false cases against Dalit students of the university
Demand #5 - Revoke suspension of other scholars
Demand #6 - Punish the culprits behind Rohith Vemula's death
Earlier, in the day, Smriti Irani had asserted that the suicide of Rohith Vemula was not a Dalit versus a non-Dalit confrontation and said that attempts were being made to 'ignite passion' in the case of the scholar's suicide across communities.
The agitating students have also demanded that the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) must leave the campus of the university immediately.
The students also chanted slogans against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
