Hyderabad Interim VC Changed Hours Before Rahul Gandhi’s Visit

Rohith Vemula suicide: Interim vice chancellor at Hyderabad University was changed hours before Rahul Gandhi’s visit.

Rahul Gandhi during the candle march organised by Hyderabad students (Photo: ANI)

Hours before Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was to visit the Hyderabad Central University to join a candlelight vigil to remember Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula on his birthday, the university has changed its interim Vice-Chancellor.

Dr Vipin Srivastava who took charge as the interim Vice-Chancellor of Hyderabad Central University has proceeded for leave from the afternoon of January 29 and the next senior most professor Dr M Pariasamy will perform the duties of the V-C till further orders.

A university official

Protesting ABVP activists against Rahul Gandhi were detained by Police (Photo: ANI)

Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh said Gandhi would participate in the candle march and also in the sit-in organized by the students on the Hyderabad University campus.

“Let us not say ‘murdabad’ to anybody,” Rahul Gandhi told protesters raising slogans against Smriti Irani.

Rohith Vemula’s mother at the candlelight march in Hyderabad (Photo: ANI)

Congress has been demanding the sacking of HRD Minister Smriti Irani and Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and also removal of Vice Chancellor Appa Rao in the wake of the suicide by the Dalit scholar.

Candlelight march organised by protesters in Hyderabad University (Photo: ANI)

This is Rahul’s second visit to Hyderabad since Vemula was found hanging in the varsity’s hostel room. The Congress vice-president had visited the University on January 19 following the suicide by the Dalit scholar and met the agitating students and the family members of Vemula.