Yakub Memon documentary ended in Rohith's suicide

Even as the Hydereabad Central University Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula's suicide has taken political colour with the entry of all parties into the debate, the Vice-Chancellor, Appa Rao, has come out with an explanation for the first time as to how the university had tried to protect the five students, including Rohith, who were suspended. The five students, all Dalits, had to be suspended because they had taken advantage of the intolerance debate and made a documentary on Yakub Memon who was hanged for his role in the Bombay blasts, considered till then the worst terrorist act in the world. The Vice-Chancellor said it all began 5 months ago. As the documentary was made and shown around on the campus, the BJP-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad leader of the HCU had tweeted on the social media that such acts eulogising terrorists was not good. The five Dalit students had attacked the ABVP leader and beaten him badly. The matter was taken up by the police. At this stage, the Vice-Chancellor said he had to intervene because if there was a police case lodged, the five students' future would be in jeopardy. The ABVP obviously pursued the matter. Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya intervened on behalf of the ABVP students who were beaten up. Dattatreya wrote a letter to the Union Human Resources Ministry seeking action against the Dalit students. The Human Resources Ministry had advised the University to look into the matter. A committee was formed by the HCU. It went into the matter and the disciplinary action committee recommended action against the five Dalit students. The top university brass suggested one month's suspension for the five students. Before the suspension was carried out, the Dean concerned and the Dean Faculty were also consulted. So as to ensure that the students' future was not jeopardised, the matter was indeed delayed. But the court, to which the matter was referred, also wanted to know what action was taken against the students. Whatever the facts, the suicide by the research scholar was regrettable, the Vice-Chancellor added. The university's effort was to ensure that no anti-social elements prevailed in the University. The Vice-Chancellor gave his reaction to a TV channel.