University of Hyderabad Vice-Chancellor P. Appa Rao, in the eye of the storm over the suicide of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula, has gone on leave but the students continued their protest on the campus.
Vipin Srivastava, the senior-most professor, will perform the duties of the vice-chancellor, the university announced on Sunday.
Mr. >Rao was under fire for his handling of the issue relating to the suspension of five Dalit students, one of whom, Vemula, committed suicide on January 17.
Meanwhile, the university registrar also issued orders on Sunday with regard to revocation of suspension of four students.
The executive council on Thursday had decided to revoke the suspension.
The students, however, continued their protest demanding Mr. Rao’s ouster.
Hunger strike continues
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) for Social Justice, an umbrella of student groups, has called for ‘Chalo HCU’ (Hyderabad Central University) on Monday to intensify the protest.
A day after police shifted seven students, who were on an indefinite hunger strike to hospital; another batch of seven students went on fast.
Meanwhile, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, visited the university on Sunday and expressed solidarity with the students.
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee chief Uttam Kumar Reddy, Congress leader in Telangana Assembly Janardhan Reddy and other party leaders also met the students.
