Rohith Vemula’s mother joins Rahul Gandhi on Bharat Jodo Yatra, Congress' Dalit outreach in Telangana may get a boost

"Rohith Vemula is and will remain a symbol of my struggle against social discrimination and injustice", Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday on the 55th day of his Bharat Jodo Yatra as he was joined by mother of the Dalit student of University of Hyderabad whose suicide had sparked protests in 2016.

Rohith's mother Radhika Vemula met Gandhi and walked with him briefly during the morning leg of the Yatra.

"Extended solidarity to Bharat Jodo Yatra, walked with Rahul Gandhi, and called upon Congress to save Constitution from BJP-RSS assault, Justice for Rohith Vemula, passing Rohith Act, increasing representation of Dalits, oppressed sections in higher judiciary, education for all," Radhika Vemula tweeted after the meeting.

In a tweet in Hindi after meeting Vemula's mother, Gandhi said, "Rohith Vemula is and will remain a symbol of my struggle against social discrimination and injustice."

रोहित वेमुला, सामाजिक भेदभाव और अन्याय के विरुद्ध मेरे संघर्ष का प्रतीक है, और रहेगा।

रोहित की माताजी से मिल कर, यात्रा के लक्ष्य की ओर बढ़ रहे कदमों को नया साहस, और मन को नई शक्ति मिली। pic.twitter.com/7XrVSqnptF

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) November 1, 2022

By meeting Rohith's mother, the steps towards the goal of the journey gained new courage as well as the mind got peace, the former Congress chief said. 

Vemula, 26, had hung himself in his hostel room alleging discrimination and harassment by the university management on account of being a Dalit. He and four others had been suspended on the complaint of an ABVP leader.

The Indian Express quoted Congress leaders saying that civil society group members are coming to meet and talk to Rahul. 

“At Shadnagar, a large group of residents who call themselves civil volunteers and share the Congress ideals of communal harmony, peace and protection of democracy joined the padayatra. Similarly, a large number of members of groups like the Telangana Federation of Trade Union, Pravasi Mitra Labour Union, academicians and activists like Prof G Haragopal, member of the Rythu Swaraj Vedika, are participating in huge numbers,” one of the leaders was quoted as saying.

The development comes a big boost to the Congress' Dalit outreach bid in Telangana, which is scheduled to go to polls next year. Ahead of the Assembly polls, the Congress, along with the BJP and K Chandrashekar Rao's BRS, is making deparate attempts to woo the Dalit voters to make considerable gains in the Munugode by-election.  

In June this year, KCR announced a ‘Dalit Bandhu (empowerment)’ scheme, in which he promised Rs 10 lakh through direct bank transfer to every Scheduled Caste family in the state. The scheme, however, is yet to be implemented. 

The Congress, which slammed the chief minister’s scheme as an election stunt, later launched a month-long Dalit-Adivasi Dandora (drive).