At last PM speaks: I share pain of Rohit’s mother

“...When there is news that a youth of my country, Rohit, was compelled to commit suicide, what his family must have gone through. Mother India has lost a son. There will be reasons, there will be politics (surrounding it), but the fact remains that a mother has lost her son. I feel the pain very well,” a visibly emotional Modi said. 

He was speaking as the chief guest at the convocation ceremony of the B R Ambedkar University here, which was marred by protest by two students, who were evicted by police as they shouted slogans like “Modi murdabad” and “Modi go back, Modi go back”. 

Two students, who were donning blue stoll, meant for Master’s degree scholars, were detained after they shouted slogans as the PM took to the podium.  University Proctor Kamal Jaiswal said, “we were taken aback. 

We had taken all precautions. Action will be taken as per rules.” Modi made the reference to Rohit’s suicide while noting that there was happiness about 21st century being projected as India’s as it was the “youngest nation” in the world but such a development pained him. 

“But we want to take this country in a direction where there is new enthusiasm and self-confidence. We are making relentless effort to take the country in the direction of Ambedkar’s dream,” the PM said.

Based on a report by a fact-finding team, the HRD Ministry on Friday decided to set up a Judicial Commission to look into the sequence of events leading to the suicide of Rohit Vemula. The panel will submit its report within three months, a statement said.  In another development, the Hyderabad university announced Rs 8 lakh ex-gratia to the family of Rohith.