AP Govt. Serves Show Cause Notice to Vemula’s Mother; Claims They Are Not Dalits

Hyderabad: According to the Andhra Pradesh government, Rohith Vemula, the Dalit scholar from University of Hyderabad whose suicide last year caused a nationwide stir, isn’t actually a Dalit but belongs to the Other Backward Castes.

Guntur District Collector Kantilal Dande has reportedly served a show cause notice to Rohith’s mother Radhika, seeking clarification on why she cannot be declared a part of the Vaddera community of the OBC category.

The notice stipulates that she can only claim to be a Dalit on condition that she is able to provide the pertinent documents within the next 15 days.

Meanwhile her elder son Raja has approached the lawyers to study the notice and draft a proper reply.

It is learnt that the Andhra Pradesh government had originally intended to send the report (of Rohith Vemula not belonging to the SC) to the Centre even before his death anniversary on January 17 but refrained to do so in the light of entailing legal issues.

In August, 2016, a one-man judiciary, headed by former Allahabad High Court judge Justice AK Roopanwal declared that Vemula belonged to OBC, stating that the false SC certificates were acquired by Radhika Vemula to avail the benefits of reservation.