DMK leader MK Stalin questioned the Centre’s beef ban and asked how it could impose restrictions on ‘our food habit’
A day after an IIT-Madras scholar was beaten up allegedly by right-wing students for participating in a beef fest on Sunday, students of the premiere institute took out a rally in support of R Sooraj and sought expulsion of the students involved in the attack. Pro-Left student organisations staged a similar protest outside the campus.
Sooraj, a PhD scholar from the Department of Aerospace and a member of the Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle (APSC), sustained severe injuries in his right eye after he was assaulted by a group of eight right-wing students led by Manish Kumar Singh on Wednesday afternoon for attending the beef fest.
Police have registered FIR against Manish and seven others under four sections including rioting, wrongful restraint and criminal intimidation for assaulting Sooraj. Curiously, the police also registered a FIR against Sooraj on the complaint from Manish who got himself admitted to a hospital under sections voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons and wrongful restraint.
On Wednesday morning a large posse of police descended on the campus in the wake of protests announced by the pro-Left student organisations including SFI, AISF and RSYF outside the campus and IIT students planned a protest on the campus. Over 60 IIT students took out a procession from the Himalayan Lawn where the beef fest was held to Dean's office to submit their memorandum over the Sooraj's attack. After reaching the Dean (Students) office, two representatives of the students submitted the representation and had a discussion. "The Dean has not responded satisfactorily to any one of our demands. The suspect has been involved in violent acts before this. We will continue to protest until we get justice," said Abhinav, a member of APSC. The three demands are: expel the students involved in the attack, bear the medical expenses for Sooraj and do everything in a transparent manner, he noted. IIT students were holding a discussion to next course of action on Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, students of Madras University too staged a protest in solidarity with Sooraj. IIT Madras Alumni wrote to the Director and the Dean urging them to stand with the victim and take appropriate punitive actions against the perpetrators of the violence.
On the ban on the sale of cattle for slaughter, DMK on Wednesday staged a demonstration condemning the Centre's notification. DMK working president MK Stalin questioning the Centre's beef ban and asked how could Central government impose restrictions on our food habit? "We must eat only what Modi likes? Our individual rights are being snatched away by Central government," he wondered.
STALIN’S POSER
- DMK leader MK Stalin questioned the Centre’s beef ban and asked how it could impose restrictions on ‘our food habit’
- “We must eat only what Modi likes? he wondered.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "IIT Madras students")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}