At a time when the Supreme Court itself has raised critical concerns over the misuse of caste-based laws, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka appears determined to bulldoze ahead with what many are calling a dangerously divisive move — the proposed Rohith Vemula Bill. Ostensibly crafted to curb caste-based discrimination in universities, this Bill, if passed, could become a legalised tool of intimidation, turning campuses into ideological battlegrounds where mere allegations can destroy careers and lives.
What makes the proposed legislation more contentious is its intent to extend the draconian provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act — a law already criticized for its misuse — to include OBCs and minorities as well. Critics see this not as an instrument of justice, but as a calculated move to fragment Hindu society further, preventing any collective assertion that might challenge Congress’s long-standing strategy of minority appeasement.
It’s important to recall that in March 2018, the Supreme Court intervened to dilute some of the most stringent aspects of the SC/ST Act. The court mandated a preliminary inquiry within seven days before registering FIRs and barred automatic arrests, particularly of public servants, unless cleared by their appointing authority. The bench warned against the law’s growing misuse — a trend disturbingly mirrored in other legislations like Section 498A (anti-dowry), where false accusations had led to innocent people being harassed and imprisoned.
The apex court’s intervention was not without reason. NCRB data between 2009 and 2014 showed a staggering 40% rise in crimes against Scheduled Castes and a 118% increase against Scheduled Tribes. Yet, conviction rates have remained abysmally low, casting doubt over the integrity of many such accusations.
Despite this, the Congress government in Karnataka has decided to weaponize the same framework further, now covering OBCs and minorities under a similar legal structure, paving the way for what is effectively a blank cheque of legal immunity and coercive power for select groups.
This is not Congress’s first attempt to manipulate caste equations for political ends. From trying to carve out a “separate religion” status for Lingayats to introducing 4% reservation for Muslims, which risked eating into the OBC quota, the party’s approach has consistently pitted one Hindu group against another. The Rohith Vemula Bill is the latest in this long list of experiments aimed at social fragmentation and identity politics.
Under the proposed Bill, any accusation by a member of SC/ST/OBC or a minority community in an educational institution — without the need for evidence or investigation — could result in immediate arrest under non-bailable, cognisable charges. A false complaint could destroy a young General Caste (GC) student’s academic future or a professor’s professional life. The accused could be forced to pay compensation up to ₹1 lakh — all before the legal process even begins. In essence, “guilty until proven innocent” becomes the new normal.
This is more than just flawed policy-making. It is legislative vigilantism disguised as social justice.
What the Congress government in Karnataka is attempting flies in the face of constitutional safeguards and recent judicial reasoning. The Supreme Court has already acknowledged the dangerous drift of Indian politics toward identity-based mobilisation. Its recent observations, in the context of a petition on banning religiously named parties like AIMIM and IUML, questioned the very legality of caste and community-based political outfits — whether regional or national.
If anything, the judiciary is sounding an alarm bell against the very kind of political engineering Congress is engaged in.
The Congress party, currently in power in Karnataka, Telangana, and Himachal Pradesh, has failed to offer any significant governance breakthrough. Instead, it appears increasingly invested in legislative distractions that stoke social tensions. The Rohith Vemula Bill, which many suspect is designed more to placate vote-banks than promote justice, may even be used to suppress dissent within its ranks — a warning shot to rebellious partymen.
It also raises a disturbing question: could such laws be used as revenue-generating tools by a cash-strapped state government through coercive fines and compensation?
In a country where caste remains an unfortunate social reality, affirmative action is necessary — but not at the cost of fairness, due process, and unity. The Rohith Vemula Bill, if passed in its current form, could create a deeply polarised academic atmosphere, embolden false accusations, and further fracture Hindu society along artificial lines.
The Supreme Court has rightly cautioned against the misuse of laws. The Karnataka government must heed that caution. Social justice cannot be built on the ruins of civil liberties. If the Congress persists with this cynical ploy, it may soon find itself not just in the dock of public opinion but also in the courtroom of judicial scrutiny.
