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Rohith Vemula suicide: HRD Ministry appoints one-member probe commission

News Agencies | Updated on: 14 February 2017, 5:31 IST

The HRD Ministry has appointed former Allahabad HC judge Ashok Kumar Roopanwal to probe circumstances leading to the suicide of Dalit scholar and student of University of Hyderabad, Rohith Vemula.

Meanwhile, the protests against the establishment continued today. Activists, academicians, artists and civil society organisations will hold a protest march in Delhi on January 30 against alleged "assaults and discrimination" in the country on the basis of caste. "Activists and civil society organisations are coming together to register their concern through a people's march in defence of the Constitution," said social activist Shabnam Hashmi.

The march will begin from Mandi House and culminate at Jantar Mantar.

"The atmosphere in the country is very disturbed. Students are being assaulted, public at large is facing discrimination on basis of race and caste and there is no one to hold accountable for the situation. We want the government to pay attention to this," said Annie D Raja, Secretary, National Federation of Indian Women.

Annie Namala from Wada Na Todo Abhiyan, an NGO, said, "Women are still being targeted, Dalits are still being harassed. How can we claim to be a free country?" Aruna Roy, Prabhat Patnaik, Vrinda Grover, John Dayal, Syeda Hamid are among the prominent people who have signed a statement in support of the 'People's March'.

"The alliance of religious fanatics and neo-liberals want nothing less than an overthrow of the state's constitutional commitment to social welfare, affirmative action for women and Dalits and subversion of criminal justice system," the statement said.

PTI

First published: 28 January 2016, 18:47 IST