BJP owes nation apology over Rohith’s death, says Bhatti; new law soon to protect Dalits and Adivasis

New Delhi: Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka demanded that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) apologise to the nation for rewarding and promoting those responsible for the tragic death of Rohith Vemula, a PhD scholar at the University of Hyderabad.

He informed that the State government is working on bringing in the Rohith Vemula Law soon.

Speaking at a press conference at the AICC headquarters (Indira Bhavan) in Delhi on Friday, alongside AICC SC Department chairman Rajendra Pal Gautam, the deputy CM made these remarks.

He said the contents of Rohith Vemula’s suicide note and the petitions submitted to the university authorities before his death were deeply shameful and a matter of national concern.

The deputy CM claimed that Rohith, in his heartbreaking note, wrote that Dalit students admitted to the University of Hyderabad should also be given a rope along with admission. “So, they can use it to hang themselves,” he said, quoting from the letter. This line, he said, shattered the conscience of the entire nation.

Rohith Vemula was forced to commit suicide

Bhatti Vikramarka stated that Rohith was a bright young man who had struggled to reach the level of a PhD, and his forced suicide reflects the toxic atmosphere that was deliberately created in the university.

The Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) had submitted a memorandum to the then vice chancellor demanding basic rights and dignity for Dalit students on campus. However, the university’s ABVP unit president, Sushil Kumar, unable to digest this, complained to the VC, labelling Rohith and four other Ambedkar Students’ Association members as ‘anti-nationals’—a complaint he also reportedly took to the BJP leadership.

‘BJP pressured local police against Dalit scholars’

The deputy CM alleged that a systematic campaign was launched against Rohith and the others, with the VC being pressured from above, particularly by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. BJP MLC Ramchander Rao allegedly exerted pressure on local police to file cases against the five students. Unable to withstand the mounting pressure from all directions, the university administration expelled Rohith and his peers from the hostel, which pushed Rohith to take the extreme step, Bhatti Vikramarka explained.

He said the entire nation hung its head in shame on the day of Rohith Vemula’s death. People across India held BJP leaders accountable. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi personally visited the University of Hyderabad, spoke with all student associations, and met Rohith Vemula’s mother, seeking a deeper understanding of the issue.

Rohith Vemula law

The deputy CM asserted that to prevent such incidents from repeating in India, the Congress is committed to bringing a special legislation—the Rohith Vemula Law—which will ensure protection and equal rights for Dalits, Adivasis and all backward communities. Rahul Gandhi’s commitment, he said, gave hope and confidence to marginalised communities across the country.

Bhatti Vikramarka accused the BJP of not only failing to act against those responsible for Rohith’s death but of promoting them. He pointed out that the then-MLC Ramchander Rao, who had exerted pressure to file police cases against the students, has now been appointed the BJP Telangana State president. Meanwhile, Sushil Kumar, considered one of the primary culprits, has been appointed assistant professor in Delhi.

‘BJP supporting those who target Dalits, Adivasis’

The deputy CM criticised the BJP for consistently supporting those who target Dalits and Adivasis to the point of pushing them toward death. He said the BJP has proved what marginalised communities have always feared; the party rewards those who inflict suffering upon them.

Calling it a national disgrace that such events take place in a country governed by a magnificent Constitution, Bhatti Vikramarka reminded everyone that Dalits and Adivasis are citizens of this nation, and the Constitution grants them all fundamental rights to live with dignity. “Let them live,” he urged.

Govt plans to reopen Rohith Vemula case

He concluded by reaffirming that, as Rahul Gandhi promised, the Telangana Government will soon bring in the Rohith Vemula Law. The State’s Law Department is already working on drafting comprehensive and foolproof legislation.

Responding to a journalist’s question, the deputy CM revealed that the Telangana Government has already submitted a note in court seeking to reopen the Rohith Vemula case, and that no one responsible will be spared.