CPI State secretary K. Ramakrishna on Thursday warned of a massive agitation if the show-cause notice issued to the mother of Rohith Vemula—a research scholar of the University of Hyderabad who committed suicide a year ago—was not withdrawn.
The State government reopened the issue of caste of Rohith allegedly to shield Union Ministers Smriti Irani and Bandaru Datattreya, and university vice chancellor P. Appa Rao, who had been named in the FIR, contended Mr. Ramakrishna, who is also State convener of the Social Rights Forum, at a press conference at Kandukur in Prakasam district.
He was speaking before resuming the bus yatra from Itchapuram to Hindupur, to bring together the SCs, STs, BCs, and minorities to attain political power for themselves.
Apex court ruling
“The Supreme Court ruling is very clear that the caste of the mother will be applicable when a person’s father disowns them (mother and son),” he said. Even Guntur District Collector Kantilal Dande had earlier informed the National SC Commission that Rohith hailed from the SC community.
Feeling of insecurity
Dalits in the State were feeling insecure following the way in which the BJP-TDP combine dealt with the Rohith and other issues relating to them, he said.
‘Gross injustice’
In Tirupati, party national secretary K. Narayana said it was gross injustice on the part of the government to reopen the issue, and criticised Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for being indifferent.
“The Union Ministers in question should be booked in this regard,” he said.
Council elections
Referring to the upcoming Council elections from the teachers and graduates’ constituencies, Mr. Ramakrishna said the ruling TDP had “inflated the voter list with bogus votes to win the elections by hook or by crook.”
“Unlike any previous incumbents, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is the first to get directly involved in the Council elections to see that practically there is no opposition voice in the House,” he added.
