Uttam Kumar Reddy slams Centre for inaction 

ROHITH'S DEATH ANNIVERSARY

Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Monday regretted that no action was taken against those responsible for suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula. Addressing an all-party meeting organised by TPCC Scheduled Caste Department at Press Club here on Monday, he pointed out that those who were criticised for creating conditions that led to suicide of Rohith were in fact rewarded by the Central government.

Describing the BJP-led NDA government as anti-Dalit, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the UoH Vice-Chancellor Appa Rao Podile, who is accused of harassing the Dalit students, was not only retained, but given an award by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Indian Science Congress at Tirupati.

The TPCC Chief said Rohith's family members and friends were being harassed and intimidated in different ways by the authorities, he alleged. He also condemned imposition of restrictions on students who supported the movement to get justice for Rohith Vemula. The students were being targeting by serving notices on trivial issues and a situation resembling prison had been created for them on the university premises.

Uttam Kumar said the Chief Minister had assured the House that he would order a probe into the allegations of police excesses. He had also promised to convey to the Prime Minister the mood of the House that UoH VC should be removed. However, neither the probe was completed nor any action was taken against the guilty police officials, he said. Several eminent personalities including Telangana Joint Action Committee (TPJAC) Chairman Prof M Kodandaram also addressed the meeting.