They snatched Rohith's life, now they want to steal his identity: Rahul Gandhi

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Delhi: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said on Sunday that Rohith Vemula and his struggle would continue to live on in people's hearts.

"They snatched his life. Now they want to steal his identity. Rohith and his struggle live on in our hearts," Rahul said, as per ANI.

He also said that PM Narendra Modi and RSS were trying to crush the spirit of Indian students and were trying to impose one idea from the top, as per reports.

They snatched his life. Now they want to steal his identity. Rohith and his struggle live on in our hearts— Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) January 31, 2016

Yesterday, External Affairs Minister and senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj had said that Rohith was not a Dalit.

“As per my information he was not Dalit. The fact is that the allegations made are baseless,” Swaraj was quoted as saying by ANI.

Meanwhile, the National Communist Party (NCP) today lashed out at the BJP-led NDA government for being insensitive over Rohith`s suicide and said `full marks` should be given to Congress VP for providing solace to the family members of the PhD scholar.

"The situation that has now being created after the death of the Dalit (student) is definitely a very important political issue and Rahul loses no opportunities in drawing some political capital out of it which is justified. As far as Rahul is concerned, I must give him full marks for at least finding time to go and provide them solace. They are in great need. Even a small man going and wiping their tears would definitely have great consequences. Rahul is a national leader. So, therefore, the Congress is fully justified in making a political issue out of it," NCP leader Majeed Memon said.

BJP had earlier said Rahul was trying to score `brownie points` by politicising Rohith`s suicide.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said that Gandhi should focus on problems of the Dalits rather than politicising an issue as serious as a suicide.

"Rahul Gandhi is trying to politicise the whole issue. Rather than discussing and going into the depths of the problems of the Dalits in the country, he is trying to bring a political angle into the whole thing. This is the same campus where nine Dalit students have committed suicide in the last 10 years," Patra said.

Gandhi, who sat on a fast yesterday along with the protesting students at the Hyderabad University, alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was trying to crush the spirit of Indian youngsters by imposing one idea from on top.

Addressing the protesting students at the university, he had said, "When you let what has happened to Rohith happen in the country, it will happen to you one day, no matter who you are. You will one day find that the same people, who crushed Rohith, will be blocking your path to freedom, to progress."

The students have been agitating after Rohith, a PhD student at the university, committed suicide by hanging himself.

Rohith and five other students were suspended by the university in connection with an alleged attack on an ABVP leader. 

(With Agency inputs)