UoH: Uttam accuses TRS Govt of labelling students as criminals

Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has accused the TRS Government of labeling Dalits, ST, BC and minority students like criminals.
Speaking to media persons after visiting the Cherlapally Central Jail along with Chief Spokesperson Dr D. Sravan and NSUI state President Venkat, to meet the students of University of Hyderabad who are lodged there, Uttam Kumar Reddy strongly criticised the TRS Government for mistreating the students and faculty members when they protested against the return of Appa Rao as the UoH Vice-Chancellor. “Instead of sending Appa Rao, an accused in SC/ST Atrocities case, to jail, TRS Government targeted the innocent students who were protesting peacefully. They were lathicharged and brutally beaten up even in police vans. This is highly intolerable,” he said.
Uttam Kumar Reddy blamed the BJP Government at the Centre and TRS Government of Telangana for the present unrest in University of Hyderabad. “Is it a crime to protest against the suicide by a Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula? Is it wrong to demand Rohith Act to prevent caste discrimination in educational institutions? It is wrong to demand the arrest of Appa Rao who has been booked under a non-bailable offence?” he asked.
He also criticized the TRS Government for opposing the bail plea of UoH students and faculty who were arrested since March 21. “By opposing the bail petition, TRS Government has clearly exposed its stand wherein it is treating Dalits students like criminals,” he said.
The TPCC president said false cases can not deter students from democratic struggles. He also said while the law would take its own course, the TRS Government should stop implicating innocent students in false cases and immediately arrest Appa Rao. Similarly, the BJP Government should stop its interference in the premier educational institutions. He demanded that the Centre should immediately dismiss Appa Rao as a person accused in a SC/ST Atrocities case should not be allowed to continue as Vice-Chancellor of a prestigious institution like UoH. (NSS)