The police on Saturday evening disrupted the four-day-old indefinite fast by seven students of the University of Hyderabad. As the condition of the fasting students was deteriorating, the police raided the fasting camp and asked the students to call of their fast. When the students refused to do so, they forcibly shifted them to the health centre in the University of Hyderabad.
Earlier on Saturday morning, the UoH students, who were on indefinite fast since the last four days over the suicide of Dalit student Rohith Vemula, were examined by doctors. The doctors said the blood pressure of the fasting students was weak and their sugar levels are falling. They also concluded that the health condition of the students was critical. Then the police plunged into action and forcibly shifted all of them to the UoH health centre.
Protesting against the lifting of the fasting camp, some more students joined the fast at the site. They said they would intensify and extend the agitation to other universities in the city till their demands were not met. The irate students also demanded that the VC explain as to why the caste of the deceased Rohit Vemula was being made controversial. Demanding that the VC Appa Rao owes an explanation as to why the Dalit research scholar committed suicide, the students demanded immediate removal of the VC. Otherwise, they agitation would continue and would be spread to other Universities. (NSS)