Kejriwal demands case under SC/ST Atrocities Act

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal demanded inclusion of HRD Minister Smriti Irani’s name in the FIR under which Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and others have been booked.

The AAP leader blamed the HRD minister for vehemently pursuing the issue with Vice-Chancellor Prof P Apparao till action was taken against five Dalit research scholars following a volley of letters from Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya to punish the men for a crime they have not committed.

“The Union ministers might say they were not interfering with the autonomy of the Central university and they have written only few letters, but I demand verification of HRD minister’s call records to ascertain details of the conversation between her and the vice-chancellor regarding action on the students,” said Kejriwal.

He said all the accused must be arrested without further delay as atrocities on SC/STs is a non-bailable offence.

Kejriwal, who interacted with students of the University of Hyderabad here, said that the medical reports and the affidavit filed by the university registrar clearly states that ABVP leader N Susheel Kumar was not assaulted by activists of the Ambedkar Students’ Association but was admitted to a hospital as he was operated for appendicitis.

“I see a sinister plan here as Susheel Kumar was apparently encouraged by the BJP leaders to file a complaint after the students peacefully parted at the hostel after Susheel agreed to remove the Facebook post. I wonder how students outfit named after Ambedkar be termed as anti-national, casteist and extremist,” he said, quoting from Dattatreya’s letter to Smriti.