Central Panel faults HCU setup for Rohith suicide: Smriti, Bandaru get clean chit

The two-member committee that went into the suicide by research scholar Rohith Vemula in Hyderabad Central University has given a clean chit to the Union Ministers Bandaru Dattatreya and Smriti Irani. The two-member fact-finding committee was set up by the Central government. The committee reported back to the HRD Ministry. Surat Singh and Shakila T Shamsu constituted the committee. The committee came out with the finding that the Union Ministers had no role in the suicide by the research scholar. On the contrary, the committee found fault with the HCU administration as leading to suicide by the student. The happenings in the HCU were the forerunner of the Intolerance debate in the Central univrsities. While the HCU eulogised Yakub Memon as a hero in their narrative, the Jawaharlal Nehru students took up Afzal Guru case for their narrative. Both the narratives were championed by the opposition parties, including the Congress, the CPI-M and the CPI.