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Hours after Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi wrote to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to enact Rohith Vemula Act, a law aimed at eliminating caste-and identity-based discrimination in educational institutions, he assured that his government will take it forward.
Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi, who is also the Lok Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli wrote a letter to Siddaramaiah urging the enactment of the Act in the state.
Rahul Gandhi in his letter highlighted the tragic deaths of Rohith Vemula, Payal Tadvi, and Darshan Solanki — all young students who allegedly died by suicide after facing caste-based discrimination in higher education institutions.
In his letter that he shared on X, Rahul Gandhi invoked the experience of BR Ambedkar, and said, “Here he describes an incident during a long bullock cart journey: There was plenty of food with us. There was hunger burning within us; with all this we were to sleep without food; that was because we could get no water, and we could get no water because we were untouchables.”
The Congress leader said that Ambedkar also tells us about his experience in school.
“I knew I was an untouchable, and that untouchables were subjected to certain indignities and discriminations. For instance, I knew that in the school I could not sit in the midst of my classmates according to my rank, but that I was to sit in a corner by myself,” he said invoking the words of Ambedkar.
The Leader of Opposition said that he know he (Siddaramaiah) would agree that what Dr. B.R. Ambedkar faced was “shameful and should not be endured by any child in India”.
“It is a shame that even today, millions of students from Dalit, Adivasi and OBC communities have to face such brutal discrimination in our educational system. The murder of bright young people like Rohith Vemula, Payal Tadvi and Darshan Solanki is simply not acceptable. It is time to put a firm end to this. I urge the Karnataka government to enact the Rohith Vemula Act so that no child of India has to face what Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Rohit Vemula and millions of others have had to endure,” he added.
Meanwhile, while responding to Rahul Gandhi’s letter, Siddaramaiah on X said, “Our government stands firm in its resolve to enact the Rohith Vemula Act in Karnataka — to ensure no student faces discrimination based on caste, class, or religion. We will bring this legislation at the earliest to honour the dreams of Rohith, Payal, Darshan, and countless others who deserved dignity, not exclusion.”
The Chief Minister also thanked Rahul Gandhi for his “heartfelt letter and unwavering commitment to social justice”.
The Congress had pledged to introduce the Rohith Vemula Act at the national level if it comes to power at the Centre.
The proposed Act aims to address caste and communal atrocities on campuses, ensuring that no student from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds faces discrimination similar to what Rohith Vemula endured.
