CM Siddaramaiah writes to Rahul Gandhi on preparing draft of Rohith Vemula Act
Bengaluru, Apr 19 (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday wrote to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi informing him that he has instructed his legal advisor and team to prepare a draft of the Rohith Vemula Act, a legislation that will act as a deterrent against discrimination in educational institutions.
The move comes a day after Siddaramaiah said that the state government stands firm in its resolve to enact the Rohith Vemula Act in Karnataka at the earliest, after Gandhi urged him to enact the law to ensure that no one faces caste-based discrimination in the education system.
"The reference in your letter dated 16th April 2025, to the incident faced by Dr B R Ambedkar, as narrated by him is indeed a sad reality even to this day. No child or adult must face the shame and stigma faced by Babasaheb," Siddaramaiah said in his letter to the Congress leader.
Assuring that he and his government are committed to ensuring an egalitarian and equal society, the Karnataka chief minister said, "We must join hands to bring the Dalits, Adivasis and Backward classes into the main stream. That the oppressed classes must no more face any discrimination in our educational system."
"I have instructed my legal advisor and team to prepare a draft of the Rohith Vemula Act, a legislation that will act as a deterrent against discrimination in educational institutions," he added.
In his letter to the Karnataka CM, Gandhi had highlighted the discrimination BR Ambedkar faced in his lifetime and 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," he 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," the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha said in his letter.
Rohith Vemula, a Dalit student, died by suicide due to caste-based discrimination in 2016.
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Om Birla attends swearing-in of new B'desh PM, says India stands ready to support BNP govt
New Delhi (PTI): Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday attended the swearing-in ceremony of new Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka, and said India stands ready to support Bangladesh's endeavours to build a democratic, progressive and inclusive nation.
Separately, the speaker called on the new Bangladesh prime minister and conveyed the wishes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He also handed over an invitation from Prime Minister Modi to Rahman to visit India, officials said here.
“Glad to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new government of Bangladesh led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka today. India stands ready to support Bangladesh’s endeavours to build a democratic, progressive and inclusive nation,” Birla posted on X.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to India, Riaz Hamidullah, said in a post on X, “Prime Minister Tarique Rahman conveys his greetings to India and PM Narendra Modi to the visiting India Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at a courtesy meet following the swearing-in of the new government.
“Speaker Birla conveyed wishes and an invitation to India. Both leaders expressed optimism to work together for the well-being of the people of Bangladesh and India, pursuing a people-centric menu of cooperation.”
Birla also met Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and other leaders on the sidelines of the event.
Led by Rahman, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) swept to power with a two-thirds majority with 49.97 per cent votes and 209 seats in the polls held on February 12, results for which were declared on February 13.
The Jamaat-e-Islami, which was opposed to Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan in 1971, registered its best-ever performance with 31.76 per cent votes and 68 seats.
The National Citizen Party (NCP) secured the third-highest number of seats, six, and 3.05 per cent votes.
Bangladesh had invited Narendra Modi to the ceremony, but the prime minister could not attend the event as he was scheduled to hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Mumbai on Tuesday.
On reaching Dhaka, Birla said the swearing-in of Rahman was an important moment that would strengthen people-to-people relations and shared democratic values between the two neighbours.
“Honoured to be in Dhaka representing India at the swearing-in ceremony of the new government led by Tarique Rahman as the prime minister. It's an important moment that will strengthen people-to-people ties and shared democratic values between our two nations,” Birla said.
Birla was accompanied by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and other officials.
