Hours before Rahul Gandhi's visit, Hyderabad University's interim V-C goes on leave

Hyderabad:  Just hours before Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's visit and amid continuing protests by students of University of Hyderabad over the suicide of a Dalit research scholar, interim Vice Chancellor Vipin Srivastava has gone on leave.

This a major development as barely a week after Vice Chancellor P. Appa Rao proceeded on indefinite leave in the wake of students' demand for his resignation, senior most professor Vipin Srivastava, who had taken over as the interim vice chancellor, has also gone on leave.

Reportedly, the next seniormost professor, A M. Periasamy, will perform the duties of the vice chancellor of the university till further orders.

Appa Rao, whose name figures in the first information report, had gone on leave on January 24. 

Rohith Vemula had committed suicide on January 17, triggering protests across the country with students calling for action against the vice chancellor and others responsible for the suicide.