Bengaluru, Apr 20 (UNI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressing solidarity with his concerns over caste-based discrimination in educational institutions and announced that his government is preparing a draft legislation named after Rohit Vemula to address the issue.
In a letter dated April 19 and addressed to Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramaiah responded to a previous communication from the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, dated April 16, in which Rahul Gandhi had referred to the discrimination faced by BR Ambedkar and the continuing plight of marginalised communities.
"I too, deeply share your sentiments. We must join hands to bring the Dalits, Adivasis, and Backward Classes into the mainstream," Siddaramaiah wrote. "No child or adult must face the shame and stigma faced by Babasaheb."
The Chief Minister affirmed his government's commitment to building an egalitarian society and revealed that he has instructed his legal advisors to begin drafting a "Rohit Vemula Act" — a proposed legislation aimed at preventing caste-based discrimination in educational institutions across the state.
"This law will act as a deterrent and ensure that the oppressed classes no longer face any form of discrimination in our educational system," he said.
The move comes amid rising concerns within the Congress party over social justice and inclusion, particularly in academic spaces, in the wake of several recent incidents across the country.
In January 2016, Rohit Vemula, a 26-year-old research scholar at the Hyderabad Central University (HCU) took his own life, alleging caste discrimination.
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