NEW DELHI: Hyderabad university professors Tatagatha Sengupta and KY Ratnam, who were arrested on charges of vandalism in connection with protests over Rohith Vemula issue today shared their "ordeal" with students at JNU and said HCU vice chancellor Appa Rao Podile's return on campus was a planned move.
The two professors, who along with 27 students were granted bail last week in a case of vandalism and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, were here to express solidarity with the students at JNU who were caught in a parallel controversy during the Rohith Vemula movement.
Participating in a panel discussion on "Caste and Higher education at JNU" which went on till late night, Sengupta spoke about the police action on students in Hyderabad university.
He also termed the rejoining of VC Appa Rao, two months after he had gone on leave following widespread protests and condemnation of his role in the suspension of five Dalit students and the subsequent suicide of Vemula, a well planned move.
Among those participating in the discussion were professors from DU and JNU besides JNU students union members Shehla Rashid Shora and Rama Naga, who led a movement against arrest of students in a sedition case over an event on campus against hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal guru during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.
JNU students have been agitating in the national capital in connection with the suicide of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula who was found hanging at the Hyderabad Central University's hostel room on January 17.
The JNU students had also petitioned President Pranab Mukherjee and met officials of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) over the alleged crackdown and arrest of students in Hyderabad Central University and demanded concrete action against its VC.