STOP Using the Word NYAY: Prakash Ambedkar Hits Out at Congress in Rohith Vemula 'Not a Dalit' Case

Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar has slammed the Indian National Congress (INC) on the recent police closure report of the Rohith Vemula case. The Telangana Police in its closure report of the controversial case mentioned on Friday that Rohith Vemula was "not a Dalit". The PhD scholar's death on January 17, 2016 created a row over the treatment of Dalits at the University of Hyderabad. Former Congress president and Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi had fully supported the 'Justice for Vemula' movement.

Gandhi had, in several posts on social media platform X (then Twitter), talked about Rohith Vemula and the atrocities on the Dalit community. However, the police report says that Rohith Vemula was not a Dalit, and feared that his "real identity" would be revealed.

Ambedkar hit out at the Congress, saying its government in the state couldn't prevent such a closure report. The VBA chief further mentions the treatment of Rohith Vemula's mother Radhika Vemula by the investigating officer, who asked the lady if she was willing to go through a DNA test to determine her caste location.

Ambedkar, in a post on X, said today, “The Congress has NO relationship with Nyay! Rohith Vemula was not a Dalit — Telangana Police, which comes under the jurisdiction of the Congress-led Telangana government, in the closure report of the investigation of the Rohith Vemula case.”

Ambedkar’s advice to Congress - STOP using the word NYAY

Saying this, Ambedkar went on to list the “Congress' Nyay for Rohith Vemula”. He wrote: “Rohith died by suicide fearing that his "real caste identity" would be discovered; No evidence of any fact or circumstance available on the record which dragged him to commit suicide; No one is responsible for his death; Investigating Officer asked Radhika Vemula if she was willing to undergo a DNA test to determine her caste location.”

Ambedkar went on to ask, “Is this how the Congress defines Nyay? Is this your nyay for Rohith's mother, sister and brother? Is this your nyay for SC and ST students, who are discriminated and harrassed every minute in educational institutions? Is this your nyay for Dalits? My advice to the Congress — STOP using the word NYAY so casually if you do not know what it means and what it stands for! Nyay is NOT a trivial term!” (sic)

Visibly angry at the outcome of the case, Ambedkar further said, “Down down Congress and its caste-hegemony attitude.”

Clean chit to accused in Rohith Vemula case

The Telangana Police closure report also gives a clean chit to the accused in the Rohith Vemula case, citing a lack of evidence. The names include the then Secunderabad MP Bandaru Dattatreya, MLC N Ramchander Rao, University of Hyderabad VC Appa Rao, the then Union Minister of Human Resource Development Smriti Irani and certain Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) leaders.

Rohith Vemula’s family to appeal

Following the disclosure of the Telangana Police closure report, Rohith Vemula's brother Raju Vemula will be filing a protest petition to challenge the report and call for further investigation.

The Congress has called for a re-opening and re-investigation in the Rohith Vemula death case after the closure report.