Rahul Gandhi urges Telangana CM Revanth Reddy to enact Rohith Vemula Act

Hyderabad: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has written to Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, urging the state government to enact the Rohith Vemula Act. Rahul Gandhi called for concrete steps to address caste-based discrimination in educational institutions.

In his letter, Rahul Gandhi highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by students from Dalit, Adivasi, and OBC communities, drawing a parallel with the experiences of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

Quoting Ambedkar, the letter read, “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.”

Rahul Gandhi also referenced Ambedkar’s school experience, “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.”

The Congress leader said it was unacceptable that such discrimination persists today. “It is a shame that even now, millions of students from marginalised communities face similar treatment in our education system,” he wrote.

Citing the deaths of Rohith Vemula, Payal Tadvi, and Darshan Solanki, Rahul Gandhi called for urgent action. “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.”

He concluded by urging the Telangana government to enact the Rohith Vemula Act, “so that no child in India has to face what Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Rohith Vemula, and millions of others have had to endure.”