The internal differences among the two Dailit organizations  - Ambedkar Students' Association (ASA) and the Dalit Students' Union (DSU), led to HCU student Rohit’s suicide, a few of the students alleged. (Rohith is a member of the ASA).

“The two organizations have had their set of differences. In August-September 2015, there was an altercation between the two groups. Rohith was also the part of the fight,” a student said.

After procuring Rohit’s birth certificate, even several doubts raised over Rohit, being a Dalit.

Even yesterday, the students boycotted all the classes and kept on protesting over the issue. “We are extending our full support to the protest and the agitation will go on indefinitely till all our demands are met,” DSU activist Suman Damera said.

Even the policemen tried their best in controlling the situations, from leading to an ugly turn. “We had imposed Section 144 on Sunday on the campus. Tensions are still high, but the section has been temporarily revoked,” a senior police officer said.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) sent a fact finding team to the University yesterday, but the agitating students dismissed it.

"The team was here for a very short period. One day is not enough to ascertain facts about the case. Moreover, the team is from the MHRD itself. It is like saying the judge itself is the murderer," ASA activist Abhijeet said.

Union HRD minister Smriti Irani said the issue was a non-Dalit issue, adding that,  Congress MP Hanumantha Rao had written to the ministry in November 2014 expressing similar concerns. The Congress MP, on the other hand, said he had failed to get any response to his letters from the ministry.

Dismissing Irani's statement that the issue was a non-Dalit one, Abhijeet said the minister was just trying to divert attention and denied to accept her reaction on the issue.

By Phani Ch