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

Celebrating the 10th death anniversary of University of Hyderabad research fellow Rohith Vemula on Saturday, January 17, 2026, Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said the situation faced by Dalit students on campuses has not fundamentally changed and called for a comprehensive anti-discrimination law.

Vemula, a 26-year-old Dalit student, died by suicide on January 17, 2016, following allegations of institutional harassment, triggering nationwide protests against caste-based discrimination in institutions of higher learning.

In a post on X, Mr Gandhi said Vemula’s life and death continue to raise a fundamental question about equality of opportunity in India.

“Today, it has been 10 years since the death of Rohith Vemula. But Rohith’s question still echoes in our hearts: Does everyone in this country have the equal right to dream? Rohith wanted to study, he wanted to write. He wanted to understand science, society and humanity to make this country a better place. But this system could not tolerate the advancement of a Dalit,” Mr. Gandhi said.

Citing what he described as institutionalized casteism, social exclusion and everyday humiliation, Mr Gandhi said such practices tarnished Vemula’s reputation and pushed him into isolation.

“So today? Have the realities changed for Dalit youth? Same humiliation on campuses, same isolation in hostels, same sense of inferiority in classrooms, same violence and sometimes same death. Because caste is still the biggest form of acceptance in this country,” he added.

This is why the Rohit Vemula Bill is not just a slogan but also a necessity, the Congress leader claimed. He urged Dalit students to organize and demand immediate implementation of the proposed law.

“Strict action is being taken against the perpetrators to make caste-based discrimination a crime in educational institutions and the freedom to offend, silence and exclude any student based on their caste is being ended,” he said.

Mr. Gandhi said the Congress governments in Karnataka and Telangana were in the process of implementing the law at the State level.

Calling for a more just and humane society, he said India must ensure that no Dalit student is to sacrifice their life for the right to dream, describing the fight against caste discrimination in higher education as a collective responsibility.