New Delhi (PTI): Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi has written to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, urging the state government to enact a law named Rohith Vemula Act for ensuring that no one faces caste-based discrimination in the education system.

In his letter to the Karnataka CM, Gandhi highlighted the discrimination BR Ambedkar faced in his lifetime.

"Here he describes an incident during a long bullock cart journey: 'There was plenty of food with us. There was hunger burning within us; with all this we were to sleep without food; that was because we could get no water, and we could get no water because we were untouchables'.

"He tells us about his experience in school: 'I knew I was an untouchable, and that untouchables were subjected to certain indignities and discriminations. For instance, I knew that in the school I could not sit in the midst of my classmates according to my rank, but I was to sit in a corner by myself'," Gandhi said quoting Ambedkar.

The Congress leader said Siddaramaiah would agree that what Ambedkar faced was shameful and should not be endured by any child in India.

"It is a shame that even today millions of students from Dalit, Adivasi and OBC communities have to face such brutal discrimination in our educational system," Gandhi said.

"The murder of bright young people like Rohith Vemula, Payal Tadvi and Darshan Solanki is simply not acceptable. It is time to put a firm end to this. I urge the Karnataka government to enact the Rohith Vemula Act so that no child of India has to face what Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Rohit Vemula and millions of others have had to endure," Gandhi said in his letter to the Karnataka chief minister dated April 16.

Rohith Vemula, a Dalit student, died by suicide due to caste-based discrimination, in 2016.

Sharing the letter on X, Gandhi said, "Recently, I met students and teachers from Dalit, Adivasi and OBC communities in Parliament. During the conversation, they told me how they have to face caste-based discrimination in colleges and universities."

Ambedkar had shown that education is the only means by which even the deprived can become empowered and break the caste system, Gandhi said.

But it is very unfortunate that even after decades, lakhs of students are facing caste discrimination in our education system, he said.

"This discrimination has taken the lives of promising students like Rohith Vemula, Payal Tadvi and Darshan Solanki. Such horrific incidents cannot be tolerated at any cost. Now is the time to put a complete stop to this injustice," he said.

"I have written a letter to Siddaramaiah ji and requested that the Rohith Vemula Act be implemented in Karnataka. No child in India should face the casteism that Babasaheb Ambedkar, Rohith Vemula and crores of people have suffered," he said.

 

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Bengaluru: As online shopping surges, particularly during festive seasons, cybercriminals are preying on unsuspecting customers with fake e-commerce websites that closely mimic legitimate platforms.

These fraudulent platforms lure users with flashy deals and deep discounts, aiming to steal money and sensitive personal information, as reported by The New Indian Express on Monday.

“Two main types of scams are currently being reported: one involves fraudsters creating counterfeit versions of popular brand websites, while the other features entirely new but fake e-commerce platforms—both heavily promoted on social media and messaging apps to attract buyers,” TNIE quoted a senior officer from a CEN (Cybercrime, Economic Offences and Narcotics) police station in Bengaluru as saying.

The officer added that in most cases, customers are tricked into paying in advance but never receive the products, as fraudsters either collect the money without delivering goods or steal users’ data through malicious links.

He warned that such fake sites often contain subtle spelling errors in brand names that typically go unnoticed, and added that clicking unknown links or trusting deals that seem too good to be true significantly increases the risk. “Always verify the URL, look out for misspellings in the domain, and double-check offers through official brand websites,” he said.

A senior officer from the North division further revealed that some companies have filed police complaints after receiving disputes over orders they never processed. “Victims who lose small amounts, between Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,000, often don’t report it, which allows these scams to continue unchecked,” TNIE quoted him as saying.

Authorities are advising online shoppers to stay vigilant and report any suspicious websites to help curb further fraudulent activity.