NEW DELHI: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday wrote a letter to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi , informing him that he has directed his legal team to begin drafting the Rohith Vemula Act - legislation aimed at curbing caste-based discrimination in educational institutions .
The announcement comes after Siddaramaiah’s statement on Friday, affirming his government's commitment to enacting the law at the earliest. This came after former Congress president Rahul Gandhi urged the Karnataka government to introduce the Act, citing the need to eliminate caste discrimination in education.
In his letter, Siddaramaiah responded to Gandhi’s April 16 message that referenced an incident faced by Dr BR Ambedkar. "The reference in your letter dated 16th April 2025, to the incident faced by Dr B R Ambedkar, as narrated by him is indeed a sad reality even to this day. No child or adult must face the shame and stigma faced by Babasaheb," Siddaramaiah wrote.
Reiterating his administration’s commitment to equality, Siddaramaiah added, "We must join hands to bring the Dalits , Adivasis and Backward classes into the main stream. That the oppressed classes must no more face any discrimination in our educational system."
"I have instructed my legal advisor and team to prepare a draft of the Rohith Vemula Act, a legislation that will act as a deterrent against discrimination in educational institutions," he said.
In his earlier letter, Rahul Gandhi had drawn attention to the systemic discrimination faced by marginalized communities. "It is a shame that even today millions of students from Dalit, Adivasi and OBC communities have to face such brutal discrimination in our educational system," Gandhi wrote.
He also invoked the tragic deaths of students like Rohith Vemula, Payal Tadvi, and Darshan Solanki as examples of institutional discrimination. "The murder of bright young people like Rohith Vemula, Payal Tadvi and Darshan Solanki is simply not acceptable. It is time to put a firm end to this. I urge the Karnataka government to enact the Rohith Vemula Act so that no child of India has to face what Dr B R Ambedkar, Rohit Vemula and millions of others have had to endure," he said.
Rohith Vemula, a Dalit PhD scholar at the University of Hyderabad, died by suicide in 2016, a case that sparked national outrage and became a symbol of caste-based discrimination in academia.
The announcement comes after Siddaramaiah’s statement on Friday, affirming his government's commitment to enacting the law at the earliest. This came after former Congress president Rahul Gandhi urged the Karnataka government to introduce the Act, citing the need to eliminate caste discrimination in education.
In his letter, Siddaramaiah responded to Gandhi’s April 16 message that referenced an incident faced by Dr BR Ambedkar. "The reference in your letter dated 16th April 2025, to the incident faced by Dr B R Ambedkar, as narrated by him is indeed a sad reality even to this day. No child or adult must face the shame and stigma faced by Babasaheb," Siddaramaiah wrote.
Reiterating his administration’s commitment to equality, Siddaramaiah added, "We must join hands to bring the Dalits , Adivasis and Backward classes into the main stream. That the oppressed classes must no more face any discrimination in our educational system."
Thank you Shri @RahulGandhi for your compassionate letter and unwavering voice for justice.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) April 19, 2025
I have directed my legal team to begin drafting the Rohith Vemula Act in Karnataka to ensure no student ever faces discrimination or exclusion in the name of caste, class or identity.… https://t.co/XsmtXW7NDF pic.twitter.com/m8rYbfmHxi
"I have instructed my legal advisor and team to prepare a draft of the Rohith Vemula Act, a legislation that will act as a deterrent against discrimination in educational institutions," he said.
In his earlier letter, Rahul Gandhi had drawn attention to the systemic discrimination faced by marginalized communities. "It is a shame that even today millions of students from Dalit, Adivasi and OBC communities have to face such brutal discrimination in our educational system," Gandhi wrote.
He also invoked the tragic deaths of students like Rohith Vemula, Payal Tadvi, and Darshan Solanki as examples of institutional discrimination. "The murder of bright young people like Rohith Vemula, Payal Tadvi and Darshan Solanki is simply not acceptable. It is time to put a firm end to this. I urge the Karnataka government to enact the Rohith Vemula Act so that no child of India has to face what Dr B R Ambedkar, Rohit Vemula and millions of others have had to endure," he said.
Rohith Vemula, a Dalit PhD scholar at the University of Hyderabad, died by suicide in 2016, a case that sparked national outrage and became a symbol of caste-based discrimination in academia.
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