Congress to raise Dalit student suicide issue in Parliament

Hyderabad: Congress leader M Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said that his party would raise the issue of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula's suicide in Parliament, while its student wing NSUI has decided to hold a one-day hunger strike across all state capitals tomorrow.

Karge, the Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, visited the HCU campus on Sunday along with Telangana party unit leaders. "The Vice-Chancellor and the (NDA) government have killed the scholar and they have denied human rights, that is why we want to take this to Parliament and tell the entire country how injustice is being done in the HCU," Kharge said.

"Definitely we will take this issue, but at the same time we will formulate strategy (on this issue) for the session, because we have to consult with other political parties also. This is not only in the interest of this university, but in the interest of entire Dalit community and also in the interest of the country," he said.

The Lok Sabha MP from Karnataka said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi "always gives emotional and attractive speeches according to the situation".

"Modi is not practical and does not want to look towards the poor people," he said.

Meanwhile, demanding removal of HCU Vice-Chancellor Prof Appa Rao Podile and Rs 50 lakh compensation to Vemula's deceased's family, a fresh batch of seven students resumed the indefinite hunger strike today.

Earlier, NSUI national president Roji M John, who visited the agitating students on the campus, said the organisation would hold one-day hunger strike in all the state capitals tomorrow in support of the ongoing agitation of the HCU students.