Congress pledges ‘Rohith Vemula Act’, if voted to power

Hyderabad: In a recent statement, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal addressed discrepancies in the Rohith Vemula suicide case and pledges that the Congress would enact a “Rohith Vemula Act” to address caste and communal atrocities on educational campuses, aiming to prevent similar tragedies from recurring.

Venugopal condemned Vemula’s death as a grave atrocity, highlighting it as a stark manifestation of the BJP’s anti-Dalit stance. He highlighted the unwavering support of the Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi, for Vemula’s family throughout this ordeal.

Venugopal underscored the need to rectify the inconsistencies in the previous investigation, affirming the Telangana Congress’s dedication to ensuring justice for Rohith’s family.

The Congress’s statement follows a meeting between Rohith Vemula’s mother, Radhika Vemula, and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, where she appealed for justice for her family.

However, the Congress’s stance drew criticism from Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who demanded an apology from Rahul Gandhi for allegedly politicizing Vemula’s suicide. Sitharaman attributed intolerance and political interference to vested interest groups rather than the government.

Responding to Sitharaman’s remarks, the Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) condemned her statements as degrading to the Dalit movement.

The ASA accused Sitharaman of overlooking BJP-led ministers’ political interference, which resulted in the illegal boycott of five Dalit students.