HCU students block administration building seeking VC's ouster

Scores of students of University of Hyderabad on Friday blocked the varsity’s administration building demanding immediate removal of vice chancellor Appa Rao Podile and lifting of restriction on the entry of outsiders into the campus.

Varsity security personnel, who yesterday stopped entry of three Kerala MPs and social activist Teesta Setalvad into the campus, on Friday prevented Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav and others from entering the campus.

Yadav alleged Appa Rao has lost moral authority to continue as vice chancellor.

Earlier, scores of students assembled in front of the administration building entrance at around 8 am and continued their blockade till 2 pm. The employees were forced to stay outside as the students did not allow them inside, UoH’s chief security officer T V Rao said.

The students under the banner of Joint Action Committee for Social Jutice of UoH raised slogans against the VC and UoH authorities and sought for opening of the varsity gates for media and public.

“Permission should be given to our parents, doctors, lawyers and human rights activists to come inside and interact with students,” they demanded.

On March 23, the varsity authorities decided not to allow any outsider, including mediapersons and politicians, on the campus.

The protesting students further demanded for dropping false charges against all the students and immediate removal and arrest of Appa Rao, who has been booked on charge of abetting suicide of research scholar Rohith Vemula.

The JAC also demanded to nullify the decisions which it claimed were taken in the meeting of deans of schools with regard to removal of ‘unauthorised things’ at the shopping complex inside the campus, (especially pertaining to removal of Vemula memorial).

‘Rohith Smaraka Stupa’, a memorial for Vemula whose suicide landed the university in the ongoing controversy, currently stands on the campus. However, a senior University official on Friday reiterated that there was no such plan as of now to remove anything from there.

Also, the varsity authorities had not discussed anything related to removal of unauthorized structures on the campus, he said.

Yadav, who was prevented from entering the University, said, “We came to express solidarity with the students. He (Appa Rao) has no right to continue as the head of this university. He is an accused, may be he is acquitted. But he should come to the campus only after the investigation is complete.”

“He has no right to continue on the VC’s post...since he has lost trust of the students community...he should not be in the VC’s office,” Yadav said.