Rahul urges Congress-ruled states to implement Rohith Vemula Act
Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has urged the Chief Ministers of all Congress-ruled states — Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana — to expedite the implementation of the Rohith Vemula Act.
In his letter, Rahul emphasised the importance of enacting the legislation as a tribute to Vemula’s memory and as a step toward ensuring justice and protection for students from marginalised communities.
Vemula was a 26-year-old Dalit PhD scholar at the University of Hyderabad, whose tragic death by suicide in January 2016 sparked nationwide outrage. In his heart-wrenching suicide note, Vemula highlighted the deep-rooted caste-based discrimination he faced in academic spaces, bringing attention to harsh realities that many students from marginalised communities endure.
The Congress is now pushing for the Rohith Vemula Act, a proposed legislation aimed at curbing caste-based discrimination in educational institutions.
Taking to social media, Rahul wrote, “Unless every student receives respect, security, and equal opportunity without discrimination, our education system cannot be fair to all. After writing a letter to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ji, I have written to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu ji and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy ji, urging them to implement the 'Rohith Vemula Act'. The Congress party is fully committed to providing equal access to education for every child and eliminating caste discrimination.”
The proposed Rohith Vemula Act aims to provide a legal framework for preventing caste-based discrimination in educational institutions and ensuring accountability in cases of neglect or harassment.
Earlier, on April 19, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah wrote to Rahul informing him that he had instructed his legal adviser and team to prepare a draft of the Rohith Vemula Act.
The Karnataka CM had assured that his government was committed to ensuring an egalitarian and equal society.
