Dismissing allegations that a letter written by him to the HRD ministry led to the suspension of a Dalit scholar who later committed suicide, Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya today sought to clarify that he merely forwarded a representation given to him by some students.

Rohith Vemula was one of the five students who was barred from accessing the hostel and other facilities of Hyderabad Central University. "Apart from being a Union Minister, I am also an elected member of Parliament from Secunderabad constituency. Since my entry into politics in 80s, I have always been a leader connected to masses and to all sections of the society on a daily basis, whether or not in any positions of power.

"Taking representations from common people, constituents and forwarding it to concerned ministries is what I consider my earnest responsibility by being an elected people's representative," the Union Minister said in a statement.

Expressing "deep shock" over the scholar's demise, Dattatreya said he would have forwarded the representation in the same way had they been given by any student groups.

"My role was only limited to forwarding these two representations. I would have happily forwarded representations of any other student body, if they had approached me," he said hoping that the matter now will rest with this clarification.

"I have expressed my deep shock on learning about the death of Hyderabad University research scholar Rohit Vemula and I wish his family condolences and the strength to withstand and overcome this tragic loss," he added.

Elaborating the series of events, Dattatreya said on August 10, 2015 he received a representation on the "state of affairs" in the University, which, he said, disturbed him "greatly" and he forwarded the same to the Ministry of HRD hoping that things in the campus would change for better.

"On 29th August 2015 I received a second representation in this and this too I forwarded to the MoHRD with a request, to look into the matter and to do the needful," he said. "The University of Hyderabad, is an autonomous institution with established procedures and I have no role in the administration of the University," he explained.