Hyderabad, Jan 22 (IANS): Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on Friday said political pressure drove Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula to suicide.

He visited the University of Hyderabad on Friday evening and called on the students to express solidarity with them.

He supported the demands of the students that the central government should order a comprehensive probe and ensure that those responsible for Vemula's suicide were punished.

Addressing the students, the chief minister said the vice chancellor bowed to outside political pressure to suspend five Dalit students and one of them committed suicide on January 17.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist leader said ideological or political debate on the campuses sometimes extend to quarrel but this needs to be tackled by college or university authorities in an amicable manner without any bias.

Sarkar said if the vice chancellor had acted properly and not bowed to outside pressure, "we would not have lost Rohith".

"His demise is a ... loss to the society because he was meritorious, brilliant and talented," he said.