Rohith's mother meets Sonia, Yechury, seeks support for enactment of Rohith Act

Rohith Vemula’s mother and brother on Saturday met political leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Sitaram Yechuri and KC Tyagi, seeking their support for enactment of a Rohith Act against caste discrimination in educational institutions.

Accompanied by the leaders of Hyderabad university’s Joint Action Committee for Social Justice, Vemula’s mother Radhika and brother Raja met Janata Dal-United MP KC Tyagi at his residence and sought his help in getting justice to Rohith and support for the act to end caste discrimination at educational institutes to be named after him.

Chairman of the JAC LS Baikai said that they met Sonia Gandhi to extend their thanks for her party’s support in the struggle for justice to Rohith and seeking her support for Rohith Act.

Rohith’s mother and brother raised the demand for enactment of Rohith Act during the ongoing Parliament session to prevent discrimination and institutional atrocities towards Dalits, tribals and marginalised sections at the educational institutions.

Tyagi said that the entire nation is in turmoil after Rohith’s death terming his suicide as an example of “injustice” with students of weaker sections at the educational institutions.

Accusing Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani of putting pressure on Hyderabad University VC, Tyagi said “Rohith would not have died if he was not expelled from the hostel.”

“Until Smriti Irani steps down, Rohith Vemula’s issue will not die down,” Tyagi said adding his party will continue to struggle on the questions raised by Rohith’s death.

Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the family members and friends of Rohith shared details of the matter with him and claimed the “facts” submitted by the students “contradicted” with what Irani stated in the Parliament.

“What the minister presented before Parliament is not based on facts. The students gave me facts, which totally contradict what the minister said. We had earlier decided that if she has misled the House then she is liable for breach of the privilege.

“She is basically member of the Rajya Sabha and misled the Parliament and the country. Even Rajya Sabha will come under the ambit,” Yechury said.

Image: Rohith Vemula’s mother Radhika, along with students, takes part in a candle light march demanding justice for her son, at India Gate in New Delhi. Photograph: Manvender Vashist/PTI