BSP members force adjournments over Vemula suicide

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MPs on Wednesday forced two adjournments of the Rajya Sabha, creating uproar over the suicide of Dalit student Rohith Vemula and demanding resignation of Union Ministers alleging they were linked with the incident.

The government said it was ready for an immediate discussion.

The BSP MPs shouted slogans after storming the Well of the House, forcing Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien to first adjourn the House for 10 minutes, and then till noon.

Raising the issue, party chief Mayawati said the suicide of Vemula, a Dalit student of the Hyderabad University, was a matter of grave concern.

“Since the time BJP came to power at the Centre, nefarious means are being used to impose RSS ideology,” she said adding that prestigious institutions like Hyderabad University, Aligarh Muslim University, Jamia Milia and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) are being interfered with.”

Without taking names, she demanded that the two Union Ministers linked with interfering with the affairs of the Hyderabad University resign and the Vice-Chancellor of the university be sacked. She also demanded the inclusion of a Dalit member in the judicial committee probing into the issue.

She insisted that the government must respond to her demands before the listed discussion is taken up.