In Gujarat, Rahul Gandhi rakes up Rohith Vemula suicide, says 'Hindustan ki sarkar' murdered him

Launching a scathing attack on the BJP-ruled Centre, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Friday said Hyderabad University scholar Rohith Vemula's death was not a suicide but he was 'murdered' by the Government of India. 

Addressing Dalit Swabhiman Sabha in Ahmedabad, Gandhi said, "Rohith Vemula did not commit suicide, he was murdered by  the Government of India."

"How dare Rohith Vemula go to college for education? A letter comes from a minister and he was crushed," the Congress leader was quoted as saying by ANI. 

Vemula, a research scholar at the Hyderabad Central University, was found hanging from a ceiling fan in a hostel room on January 17, 2016. He  was allegedly upset over disciplinary action taken against him by the university.

His suicide had triggered a huge political furore with the then HRD Minister Smriti Irani coming under attack along with Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya for having written a letter related to the matter.

Rahul Gandhi, who is soon to take over the charge of the Congress as its president, earlier addressed members of the fishermen community in Porbandar where he promised to create a separate fisheries ministry if his party comes to power at the Centre.

The polling for the two-phase elections for a total of 182 seats of Gujarat Assembly will take place on 9 and 14 December, and votes will be counted on 18 December.