Hyderabad: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday compared Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula to Mahatma Gandhi saying both were targeted for speaking the truth.
"What's happened to Rohith was the same that happened to Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhiji raised his voice for truth, so did Rohith," Rahul told protesters at Hyderabad Central University.
He pointed out that Rohith's birthday fell on the same date Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated.
Hitting out at the Narendra Modi government and the RSS, he said they were trying to crush the spirit of students and youngsters by imposing 'one idea from top'
"Nobody should tell students what to do. If you want India to progress you need to unleash the power of students," he said.
He also urged the Centre to enact a law to end discrimination in universities
Rahul sat on a nine-hour fast with students agitating for action against university authorities and resignations of Union ministers Bandaru Dattatreya and Smriti Irani over Rohith Vemula's suicide.
Earlier, at midnight, he joined them in a candle light vigil to mark the birthday of Rohith, who would have turned 27.
I am here today at the request of Rohith's friends and family, to stand with them in their fight for justice— Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) January 30, 2016
Rohith committed suicide at a hostel in the university on January 17, weeks after he and five others were suspended from the facility for allegedly assaulting an ABVP activist.
The BJP hit back at Rahul accusing him of politicising the Dalit scholar's death.
Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu asked where the Congress president was when there were nine student suicides in the university during UPA's time.
BJP's student wing ABVP called for a two-day nationwide bandh from Sunday, after more than 50 of its activists were allegedly lathicharged for protesting Rahul's visit.
Comments
0 comment