Need law to fight discrimination, says Rahul on Vemula anniversary

NEW DELHI: On the 10th death anniversary of Dalit student Rohith Vemula on Saturday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stressed the need for an anti-discrimination law, saying Dalit youth continue to face discrimination and other challenges on campuses. Vemula, a 26-year-old student of University of Hyderabad, died by suicide on Jan 17, 2016, following alleged harassment.In a post in Hindi on X, Rahul said, “And today? Has the reality for Dalit youth changed? The same contempt on campus, the same isolation in hostels, the same feeling of inferiority in classrooms, the same violence – and sometimes, the same death. Because caste is still the biggest admission form in this country.”That is why Rohith Vemula Act is not just a slogan but a necessity, he said. “This fight is not just in Parliament, it is a fight of the youngsters on campuses and ‘it is our fight’,” Rahul asserted.”We need an anti-discrimination law now,” he emphasised. The Congress govts in Karnataka and Telangana were in the process of implementing the law as soon as possible, he added.Meanwhile, Congress on Saturday lashed out at the Modi govt, with party general secretary, in-charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh saying in a post on X, “In yet another blow to the self-proclaimed Vishwaguru’s self-boastful diplomacy, the US Central Command has just issued a statement saying that US and Pakistani Army soldiers have completed joint training exercises codenamed ‘Inspired Gamble’.” Ramesh highlighted that US President Donald Trump “himself has repeatedly expressed his deep admiration for Field Marshal Asim Munir, whose inflammatory and communally provocative remarks had provided the immediate backdrop to the Pakistan-orchestrated terror attacks in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025.”