Congress: New Telangana BJP chief rewarded for Vemula 'murder'

NEW DELHI: Congress Friday lashed out at BJP for appointing N Ramchander Rao as its Telangana president, asking if the party has rewarded him for "his leading role" in the "institutional murder" of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula in 2016. Congress demanded BJP withdraw the appointment and apologise to the country.

Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu said Rao had taken "goons" to Hyderabad University and forced authorities to file a false case against Vemula, leading to harassment that ended with his suicide. Same time, Vikramarka said BJP has appointed M Susheel Kumar, who as a key ABVP member was allegedly involved in Vemula's harassment, as assistant professor in DU.

Vikramarka also announced Congress govt had moved HC seeking a directive to reopen the Vemula case. The move comes nearly three months after Rahul Gandhi asked CM Revanth Reddy to enact a law against caste discrimination named after Vemula.