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Political drive: Rohit Vemula’s family to campaign for BSP in UP polls

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Special Correspondent

NewsBits.in

Nagpur: The politics surrounding suicide of Hyderabad Central University student Rohit Vemula is set to get formalized with Rohit’s family deciding to campaign for Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls slated in 2017.

Late Rohit’s mother Radhika Vemula declared this on Wednesday here, while answering a query at a press conference. Radhika Vemula was in Nagpur to attend the Dhammachakra Pravartan Din (mass conversion day anniversary) at Deeksha Bhoomi on Tuesday. The press conference was organized by local unit of BSP.

Speaking through Sannaki Munna, Hyderabad-based president of Ambedkarite Youth Movement, Radhika said that she and her family would campaign against BJP in the UP polls in support of BSP. However there is no decision yet on joining the political party formally she said.

Radhika came out strongly against the report of Ashok Kumar Roopanwala committee that inquired into the suicide of Rohit and rejected it outright. She said that by questioning her caste and trying to show her as non-dalit, the Roopanwala committee had rubbed salt into her wounds.

“The pain of being oppressed would only be understood by the oppressed and not the oppressor. Thus it becomes easy for Ashok Kumar Roopanwala and BJP leaders who belong to the class of oppressors to comment on my caste and my son’s caste to save their ministers and their henchmen Podile Apparao (VC of Hyderabad Central University) from (provisions of) Prevention of SC/ST Atrocities Act,” Radhika Vemula said in a written statement issued to the press.

She called for strict action on BJP union ministers Bandaru Dattatreya, Smriti Irani and Apparao for driving Rohit to suicide. Radhika also called for implementation of Rohit Act on university campuses to save other students from atrocities.

Radhika also charged the Telangana government with not supporting her during the trying times following Rohit’s suicide and during period of inquiry.

She called upon people of Nagpur to send out strong voice of support for Dalit brethren across country who were facing different atrocities, while referring specially to cases in Una and Udipi.

Radhika Vemula reiterated that her and her family’s struggle for justice to Rohit would continue.