New Delhi [India], January 17 (ANI): Remembering PhD scholar Rohith Vemula on his sixth death anniversary, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday called Vemula his "hero" and said that he will continue to remain a symbol of resistance.

"Rohith Vemula was subjected to atrocities and murdered because of his Dalit identity. As years go by, he remains a symbol of resistance and his courageous mother a symbol of hope. For fighting till the very end, Rohith is my hero, my brother who was wronged," Rahul said in a tweet.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also remembered Vemula and said that he was a "strong voice of social justice" for the Dalit youths.

Taking to Twitter, Priyanka also alleged that out of the 13 lakh Dalit youths in Uttar Pradesh, only 1.25 lakh received scholarships in the state, and said that the Congress will "strengthen the fight for social justice started by Rohith Vemula".

"Rohith Vemula was a strong voice of social justice. Last year, around 55 lakh Dalit youth across the country did not get their scholarship. Out of 13 lakh youth in UP, only 1.25 lakh youth got this scholarship. Strengthening social justice by giving scholarships to Dalit youth for their rights," she tweeted in Hindi.

"It is only by doing so that the empowerment of Dalit youth will take place. The Congress party has prepared a complete blueprint of social justice and scholarships for Dalit youth. We will strengthen the fight for social justice started by Rohith Vemula," the tweet further read.

Vemula, a 26-year-old PhD scholar at the Hyderabad Central University was found hanging from a ceiling fan in a hostel room on January 17, 2016. He was allegedly upset over disciplinary actions that were taken against him by the university because of "caste-based discrimination". (ANI)