By Mehboob Ali
Hyderabad: The University of Hyderabad (UoH) Students’ Union staged a protest on Monday, June 24, in front of the university administration building against the suspension of five students including the union president.
Earlier this month, five students including the students’ union president Ateeq Ahmed were suspended by the university for protesting against the arbitrary cancellation of the annual cultural fest at VC lodge premises without permission.
The students have been asked to vacate the hostel by July 1 along with a fine of Rs 10,000/-.
On Monday, the protesting students questioned the credibility of Vice Chancellor BJ Rao appointed to the committee to investigate alleged irregularities in NEET and UGC NET examinations by the centre.
“Our VC is one among the committee members appointed to probe alleged NEET discrepancies by the Modi government. This is the same man who has suspended five HCU students for the act of protesting against his anti-student policies. Mind you these are all minority students who struggled long and hard to be at HCU. For the first time in history, the students’ union president has been suspended for speaking up for students’ rights. And do you expect the same man to understand the perils of the protesting students of NEET and NET?” a student told Siasat.com.
UoH VC BJ Rao is one among the seven members high-level committee of experts constituted to make recommendations on the functioning of the National Testing Agency(NTA) on Saturday, June 22.
Favours ABVP, allege students
The students also accused the university administration of alleged favourable treatment to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) student outlet Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad(ABVP).
“Two months back when ABVP created such a ruckus in this campus by assaulting minority students and groping women, the students’ union had to stage a hunger strike to ensure action on habitual offenders inside the campus. Those people are still illegally occupying university spaces. Why there is no action against them? But when the students’ union protested against the arbitrary cancellation of the annual cultural event, they were punished,” a Dalit student scholar told Siasat.com.
On April 17, several students including three of the suspended ones were injured in a clash between members of the ABVP and the Students Federation of India (SFI). The incident took place after two students had reportedly objected to communal songs being played on campus, which eventually led to the violence.
