Rahul Gandhi calls for anti-discrimination law on Rohith Vemula’s death anniversary

Marking the 10th decease day of University of Hyderabad probe student Rohith Vemula connected Saturday (January 17, 2026), Congress person and Leader of the Opposition successful the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said the concern faced by Dalit students connected campuses had not fundamentally changed and called for a broad anti-discrimination law.

Vemula, a 26-year-old Dalit student, died by termination connected January 17, 2016, pursuing alleged organization harassment, triggering nationwide protests against caste-based favoritism successful institutions of higher education.

In a station connected X, Mr. Gandhi said Vemula’s beingness and decease continued to rise a cardinal question astir equality of accidental successful India.

“Today marks 10 years since Rohith Vemula’s passing. But Rohith’s question inactive resonates successful our hearts: does everyone successful this state person an adjacent close to dream? Rohith wanted to study, helium wanted to write. He wanted to recognize science, nine and humanity to marque this state a amended place. But this strategy could not tolerate a Dalit’s progress,” Mr Gandhi said.

Referring to what helium described arsenic institutionalised casteism, societal exclusion and mundane humiliation, Mr. Gandhi said specified practices stripped Vemula of dignity and pushed him into isolation.

“And today? Has the world for Dalit younker changed? The aforesaid contempt connected campus, the aforesaid isolation successful hostels, the aforesaid feeling of inferiority successful classrooms, the aforesaid unit — and sometimes, the aforesaid death. Because caste is inactive the biggest admittance signifier successful this country,” helium added.

That was wherefore the Rohit Vemula Act was not conscionable a slogan but a necessity, the Congress person asserted. He called upon Dalit students to organise and request the contiguous implementation of the projected legislation.

“So that caste-based favoritism successful acquisition institutions becomes a crime, strict enactment is taken against the perpetrators, and the state to break, soundlessness and exclude immoderate pupil connected the ground of their caste is ended,” helium said.

Mr. Gandhi said Congress governments successful Karnataka and Telangana were successful the process of implementing the instrumentality astatine the State level.

Calling for a much conscionable and humane society, helium said India indispensable guarantee that nary Dalit pupil is forced to sacrifice their beingness for the close to dream, describing the combat against caste favoritism successful higher acquisition arsenic a corporate responsibility.