HYDERABAD: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday stated that the Congress governments in Telangana and Karnataka will soon enact the Rohith Vemula Act.
Paying tributes to Rohith Vemula, the Dalit research scholar from the University of Hyderabad whose suicide in 2016 triggered nationwide protests and renewed debate on caste discrimination in higher education, Rahul wrote on X: “Rohith, your fight is our responsibility.”
He continued: “Rohith Vemula Act is not just a slogan, it is a necessity to make caste discrimination in educational institutions a crime, ensure strict action against the guilty, and prevent any student from being broken, silenced or pushed out in the name of caste.”
Rahul said that a decade after Vemula’s death, the question he raised continues to haunt the country: whether everyone in India truly has an equal right to dream. Remembering Vemula as a young man who aspired to study, write and understand science, society and humanity, he added that the system failed to accept a Dalit student moving forward with ambition and confidence.
He alleged that institutional casteism, social exclusion, everyday humiliation and dehumanising treatment pushed Vemula into isolation, stripping him of dignity and support.
“This was the poison that pushed a promising young man to a point where he was left utterly alone,” the Congress MP said, describing caste-based discrimination as deeply entrenched in educational institutions.
Many students still face discrimination in educational institutions, says Rahul
The Leader of the Opposition questioned whether the situation for Dalit students has improved over the past decade, arguing that many still face discrimination on campuses, isolation in hostels, feelings of inferiority in classrooms and, in some cases, violence and death. He said caste continues to function as the “biggest admission form” in the country, determining access, opportunity and dignity.
Calling for urgent legal reform, Rahul reiterated the Congress demand for the Rohith Vemula Act, saying it was necessary to ensure accountability and prevent discrimination in educational institutions. He added that India must strive to become a just, humane and equal society where no Dalit student is forced to pay for their dreams with their life.
Bhatti meets Vemula’s mother
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka met members of the Justice for Rohith Vemula Campaign Committee, comprising Rohith Vemula’s mother Radhika Vemula and others, at Praja Bhavan on Saturday.
He told them that the Rohith Vemula Act would be introduced in the state at the earliest, as per the instructions of Rahul Gandhi.
The members of the committee submitted to Vikramarka a draft of the Rohith Vemula Act prepared by their colleagues in Karnataka.
They also made several representations, demanding a transparent inquiry into the Rohith Vemula case and justice for Vemula. They further requested relief for 50 students and two teachers against whom non-bailable cases were registered in the university following Vemula’s death.