Telangana Dy CM slams BJP for appointing accused in Rohith Vemula case as state unit chief

Hyderabad, July 11 (IANS) Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka came down heavily on the BJP for appointing N Ramchander Rao, who was among the accused in the suicide of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula, as the president of the BJP's Telangana unit.

The Congress leader alleged that the saffron party has once again shown that it rewards those who go against Dalits and tribals.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi on Friday, he recalled the alleged role of Ramchander Rao in the Rohit Vemula case.

He alleged that the BJP leader had brought pressure on the authorities of Hyderabad Central University to suspend Rohith Vemula and four other students following a clash between ABVP and ASA students’ groups, which eventually led to the suicide of Rohith Vemula in 2016.

The Deputy Chief Minister said Rohith Vemula's suicide had shocked the country and made it reflect on what is happening under the BJP rule.

He recalled that Rohith was a PhD scholar and was an active member of the Ambedkar Students' Association (ASA). He said Rohith, along with his friends, was fighting for self-respect and social justice for Dalits, but ABVP leader Susheel Kumar filed a false case and brought a lot of pressure on the university authorities to book and rusticate the boys and shame them, and this led to Rohith’s suicide.

He alleged that then BJP MLC Ramchander Rao, along with his ‘goons,’ staged a dharna, met the vice chancellor, and forced the authorities to take action against the ASA students, and this pressure ultimately led Rohith to take his life.

He said that from the Union Human Resources Minister to local MLC Ramchander Rao, the BJP brought pressure on the university authorities to take action against Rohith and other Dalit students. He said Rohith had mentioned the reasons for his extreme step in the suicide note.

Vikramarka said the BJP promoted those who were responsible for the Dalit research scholar’s suicide. The ABVP leader was made assistant professor at the University of Delhi, and Ramchander has been promoted as Telangana BJP chief.

The Congress leader alleged that Dalits and tribals have no protection under the BJP rule, as those responsible for attacks on them were being promoted by the saffron party.

He demanded that the BJP rethink such appointments and unconditionally apologise to the country.

Vikramarka alleged that the Central government is destroying the universities and taking away the Constitutional rights.

“The basic duty of the government should be to protect the lives, dignity and self-respect of every citizen of the nation," he said.

Telangana Police had last year filed a closure report in the Rohith Vemula case before a local court and given a clean chit to the accused, including Ramchander Rao.

--IANS

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