#HyderabadStudentSuicide: what the local parties are saying

Predictably, Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula's suicide has created suitable conditions for political parties to sling mud at each other.

While TV news channels are camping in the Hyderabad Central University campus, politicians have been walking in and out of the university, making the right noises of condemnation regarding the unfortunate incident.

Also read - What killed Hyderabad university Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula?

Here are some of the political reactions:

Telangana Rashtra Samithi

TRS MP K Kavitha was very clear about where to put the blame.

"There was a small scuffle between the ABVP and the Ambedkar Students Association, and the initial inquiry had a finding that would have resolved the situation to the extent that they were to be let off with a warning. What was the need for the Union Minister to write to the V-C and the HRD Ministry?" she told The Hindu.

TRS MP K Kavitha: "What was the need for the Union Minister to write to the V-C & the HRD Ministry?"

Kavitha, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's daughter, was implying that Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattareya and HRD Minister Smriti Irani should be held responsible for ASA member Vemula's suicide.

Her statement says the actions of the BJP ministers led the university vice-chancellor to suspend five Dalit research scholars, and ultimately led to one of them (Vemula) committing suicide.

Bharatiya Janata Party

The Telangana BJP, naturally, sprung to Dattatreya's defence.

"The Telangana government and police has acted in complete haste. The blame game is nothing but mudslinging, and the TRS's political opportunism ahead of the GHMC polls," a statement from the party said. The state's municipal elections are scheduled for 2 February. That's just two weeks away.

State BJP spokesperson Krishna Sagar Rao told The New Indian Express: "There is no connection between the suicide and the suspension. Dattatreya has no connection with the suicide. People are jumping into conclusions.

"[It was just a] single paragraph letter forwarding a representation from the ABVP. [Dattatreya] has not given any instructions to the ministry. The second letter stated facts as briefed to him.

Bahujan Samaj Party

The party that is most closely identified with Dalits in the country, the Bahujan Samaj Party, is also very clear about where the blame lies.

Its state unit chairperson, M Ballaiah, told Catch: "Irani, Dattareya and the V-C are to blame. They knew all the details of the case.

"ASA and ABVP members had a problem, and eventually they reached a compromise. But soon after this, ABVP leader Susheel Kumar wrote a Facebook post alleging that the ASA student members beat him up and he had to be hospitalised. BJP MLC Ram Chander added fuel to the fire. He went to the university campus and spoke to 200 students and riled them up against these ASA student members."

Telangana BJP: "No connection between suicide and suspension. Dattatreya has no connection with it"

Ballaiah is of the opinion that the BJP-led Central government is suppressing Dalit rights.

"The Central government is crushing whatever they do not like. We think a CBI inquiry into Vemula's death is needed," he added.

Adding its voice to the BSP's is the Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti (MRPS), a non-profit organisation that works for the rights of the Madiga community.

S Rajamouli of MRPS told Catch: "The Central government is responsible, clearly, because it is a central university. They run the show."

More in Catch - Death Rows: Rohith is the 23rd Dalit student suicide in institutions like AIIMS and IITs

Rohit Vemula suicide: Students protesting Dait scholar's death brave water canons, lathicharge

Rohith Vemula death: Government will not intervene in suicide of Dalit scholar, insists Smriti Irani