Modi Breaks Silence Over Rohith Vemula’s Suicide Amid Protest

Modi breaks his silence on Rohith Vemula’s suicide as two students disrupt Lucknow University convocation ceremony.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi on 21 January 2016. (Photo: PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke silence over the suicide of a Dalit scholar, Rohith Vemula, at the Lucknow university convocation ceremony on Friday.

The ceremony was disrupted as two graduating students raised slogans in protest against his presence. They could, however, hardly disrupt Modi’s speech.

Modi expressed sorrow over the suicide of Vemula which is allegedly caused by the BJP’s students group, ABVP.

<p>Mother India has lost a son. There will be reasons, there will be politics (surrounding it) but the fact remains that a mother has lost her son. I feel the pain very well.</p>

<b>Narendra Modi, Prime Minister</b>

The two students, who were evicted and detained by police as they shouted slogans like “Modi murdabad” and “Modi go back, Modi go back”. The two are now being questioned.

In Hyderabad

The suicide by Rohith Vemula, a Dalit scholar of the Hyderabad Central University, has kicked up a major row. The protests in the University of Hyderabad have spread to Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bhopal, Bikaner and are going strong on day six after Vemula’s death.

Students in Delhi protest against the suicide of Rohith Vemula. (Photo: PTI)

Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani and Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya have come under intense attack from political rivals, who have blamed them for the incident and demanded their removal.

Irani spoke to the parents of Vemula and assured proper judicial action and justice based on the judicial enquiry.

Students in Delhi protest against the suicide of Rohith Vemula. (Photo: PTI)

<p>Based on its observations and findings, the Ministry has decided to constitute a Judicial Commission to review the entire sequence of events and the circumstances and to establish the facts and correctives in the context of the University. </p>

<b>HRD Ministry Statement</b>

Students in Bikaner, Rajasthan protesting against Rohith Vemula’s suicide. (Photo: PTI)

The mother of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula also refused to meet Vice-Chancellor of Hyderabad university, Appa Rao Podile, when he went to her house.

University Proctor Kamal Jaiswal said, “we were taken aback. We had taken all precautions. Action will be taken as per rules.”

However, Modi evaded details about the politics behind Rohith’s suicide.