Rohith Vemula's Brother Threatens to Sue BJP MLC Over Charges of Muslim League Paying Him Rs 15 Lakh

New Delhi: Deceased Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula’s brother Raja has threatened to take BJP MLC Ramchander Rao to court over his allegations that a Muslim organization had paid him Rs 15 lakh to convert to Islam.

Rao had said that “he has information” that the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has given Rs 15 lakh to Rohith Vemula's family on the terms that his brother would convert to Islam.

Vemula said, "Ramchander Rao is one of the culprits who is responsible for my brother's death."

"I challenge him to prove this in public domain that we were offered money on the terms of converting to Islam. If he doesn’t have the proof, he should come out and apologise publicly or I will take legal action against him for defaming my family for political gains."

"I also want to tell the BJP that even if I want to change my religion, it's my fundamental right, which has been awarded to me by the Constitution of India. BJP has no right to make baseless allegations like this."

"I don't look down upon Islam unlike Mr Ramchander. We grew up with Muslims and I'm even married to a Muslim woman. We respect all religions."

"BJP is making all of these claims while Piyush Goyal is also holding press conferences to say that Rahul Gandhi is exploiting the tragedy of Rohith Vemula's death to serve their political interest. I want to ask the BJP, what have they done for the victim's family so far? Congress has at least shown solidarity with our family and other students who are suffering.”

Vemula added that Congress had even promised that if they come to power, they will bring the Rohith Act, which the Rohith’s family, along with thousands of students, have been pressing for.

Raja Vemula further claimed that after Rohith’s death, Rahul Gandhi had met the family twice, but never used the tragedy for his political gains while no one from BJP ever spoken to them.