Ex-MLC Rao: Cong, Left exploited Rohith Vemula's suicide for political gain, not linked to BJP

BJP ex-MLC Ramchander Rao alleges Congress and Left exploited Rohith Vemula's suicide politically. Rao's remarks follow police closure report clearing him and others in the case. Vemula's family plans legal challenge, claiming caste status dispute. Students protest, accusing BJP and ex-university officials. Police announce further investigation into the case.

Former BJP MLC N Ramchander Rao, an accused in the 2016 Rohith Vemula suicide case, has alleged that Congress and Left parties had tried to gain political mileage by linking the death of the University of Hyderabad student to the BJP.

Vemula's suicide was painful but the attitude of the Congress and Left parties was deplorable, Ramchander Rao said on Friday.

Rao's remarks came after Telangana Police filed a closure report in the case before a local court and gave a clean chit to the accused, including Rao.

Police claimed Vemula was not a Dalit and died by suicide in 2016 as he feared that his ''real caste'' would be discovered.

Meanwhile, a group of students protested at the University of Hyderabad and raised slogans against the BJP, Union Minister Smriti Irani and former university vice-chancellor Appa Rao Podile, who was also among the accused persons.

In a social media post, the Students' Federation of India (SFI) said the closure report filed by police ''on Rohith Vemula's institutional murder is an exercise in irony''.

''The Congress government and its police are supporting the false narrative of the BJP by tagging Rohith not to be a Dalit despite lack of proof of the same,'' it said.

Vemula's family said on Friday that it will legally contest the closure report.

His brother Raja Vemula claimed the district collector has to decide on the family's SC status.

Following this, police said they have decided to conduct further investigation into the case.

A petition will be filed in the court concerned requesting the magistrate to permit further investigation into the case, Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) Ravi Gupta said in a statement.