The AAP leader also demanded an apology from Irani for playing "dirty caste politics" and "misleading the nation" over the circumstances surrounding the suicide.

Hyderabad: Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday demanded that Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani be booked under the SC/ST Atrocities Act for abetting the suicide of research scholar Rohith Vemula at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) campus.

After meeting the agitating students at the campus here to express solidarity with them, Kejriwal blamed the HRD Minister and her colleague and Union Labour Minister B Dattatreya for "vehemently pursuing" the issue with the Vice Chancellor till disciplinary action was taken against five Dalit research scholars including Rohith.

"The union ministers might say they were not interfering with the autonomy of the central university but I demand that the call records of Irani must be verified to ascertain details of the conversation between her and the Vice chancellor Appa Rao regarding action on the boys," he said.

The AAP leader also demanded an apology from Irani for playing "dirty caste politics" and "misleading the nation" over the circumstances surrounding the suicide.

Kejriwal, who earlier interacted with the students at the campus, said that the medical reports and the affidavit filed by the University registrar clearly showed that the ABVP leader N Susheel Kumar was not assaulted by the members of Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) but was admitted in the hospital for appendicitis surgery.

"I see a sinister plan here as Susheel Kumar was apparently encouraged by the BJP leaders to file a complaint," Kejriwal alleged. "Instead of encouraging a bright student who secured admission into a Central university under open merit category, he was subdued and forced to end his life. It is a shame on the country," he said.

Expulsion of 4 revoked

Meanwhile, the university authorities revoked the suspension of four Dalit PhD scholars, meeting one of the key demands of the agitating students. The decision was taken at a meeting of the university's Executive Council chaired by the Vice Chancellor.

"After taking into account the extraordinary situation prevailing in the university and after discussing the issue in detail, the Council has resolved to terminate the punishment imposed on the students concerned with immediate effect," a release from UoH said.

However, the students vowed to continue their agitation till the Centre agrees to meet their other demands including dismissal of the Vice Chancellor.

Five students, all members of Ambedkar Students Association, were suspended in December following allegation that they assaulted an ABVP leader. They were barred from entering the hostel, library, mess and other common areas within the university premises.

Dalit professors resign

Earlier in the day, 10 Dalit professors resigned from their administrative posts in support of the demands of the agitating students. They also took strong objection to what they called "misrepresentation of facts" by Smriti Irani who had dubbed the protests as a "malicious attempt" to project the issue as a caste battle.

"In response to the honourable minister's fabricated statements, we the Dalit (SC/ST) faculty and officers lay down our administrative positions," said a statement by university's SC/ST Teachers and Officers' Forum.

Meanwhile, the Vice Chancellor, who earlier ruled out resignation, appealed to students to maintain calm and harmony under the extraordinary circumstances prevailing on the campus and repose faith in the internal mechanisms to resolve the issues.

He urged the faculty and students to contribute to resuming regular class work, research activities and administrative work without further delay.

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