CHENNAI: Massive protests are taking place outside the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-Madras) campus condemning the attack on a PhD scholar at the institute yesterday allegedly by some students who were agitating against the “beef fest” organised in the campus on Sunday.
Students are holding a protest march up to the IIT-Madras Dean’s office and demanding that the attackers involved be expelled.
After the Madras High Court stayed the Centre’s cattle slaughter ban move, Left groups as well as the DMK have opposed the beef ban.
The Revolutionary Students and Youth Front is also agitating against the attack on Sooraj and against the cattle slaughter ban in general. DMK working president MK Stalin and DMK leader Kanimozhi are leading protest against the Centre’s cattle slaughter ban in Chennai.
It is alleged that PhD scholar R Sooraj, who is associated with the Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle, was assaulted by some students who claimed to be Sangh Parivar supporters, according to the victim’s associates.
A student alleged that some of his colleagues owing allegiance to the “right-wing ideology” on Tuesday surrounded Sooraj while he was having lunch in the mess in the afternoon and beat him up.
He was rushed to the IIT-Madras dispensary and later to an eye hospital for an injury he suffered in his right eye.
PHOTOGRAPH OF SCHOLAR GOES VIRAL
A photograph, purportedly of Sooraj being rushed to a hospital with an eye injury, has gone viral on social media.
Another student alleged that on the night of May 28 and the next day, two students – one after another – who had taken part in the beef fest, were threatened by right-wing elements and a complaint was made to the authorities.
A senior police official said a formal complaint was yet to be received but an inquiry was being conducted into the matter.
“We will register a case on receiving the complaint”, the official told.
A spokesperson for IIT-Madras said, “There was an altercation between two students and both of them sustained injuries. They were given immediate and appropriate medical aid.”
The spokesperson added, “An inquiry will be held by the institute and appropriate action will be taken based on its outcome.”
On Sunday, some students held a “beef fest” in IIT-Madras campus to protest the Centre’s ban on the sale of cattle for slaughter at animal markets.
