The political slugfest over the Dalit student’s suicide in Hyderabad continued unabated on Thursday with Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and other opposition parties calling it a “national shame” and unrelenting in their demand for the sacking of Union ministers Smriti Irani and Bandaru Dattatreya.
Backing students’ protest at the Hyderabad Central University (HCU), Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal mounted pressure on the Centre as he demanded sacking of Irani and Dattatreya.
While addressing students, Kejriwal said Irani’s statement about Rohith Vemula’s death on Wednesday as well as subsequent agitation by the students was a clear attempt to make it a caste issue for which she must apologise.
He also demanded inclusion of HRD Minister Smriti Irani’s name in the FIR in connection with the death. “It is shameful that a responsible minister without inquiring into the facts has already concluded that Ambedkar Students’ Association is casteist. She mentioned three words about the students – anti-national, casteist and extremist,” said Kejriwal.
The AAP leader, who met students sitting on an indefinite fast, charged Irani with playing “dirty politics” on Vemula’s death.
“Smriti Irani lied yesterday and tried to play dirty caste politics and tried to play with the emotions of the students. We demand she seeks an apology from the entire country for that. We appeal to the Prime Minister to remove Irani and Dattatreya from his Cabinet,” he said.
He claimed that Irani must have called vice-chancellor Appa Rao Podile many times in connection with the issue. Kejriwal also sought the removal of the vice-chancellor.
The Congress too pressed for the immediate sacking of Irani and Dattatreya and demanded an apology from the Prime Minister over Irani’s “misconduct”. “Belated decision of the Hyderabad Central University to revoke the suspension of four dalit Ph.D. scholars (colleagues of deceased Rohith Vemula) proves the guilt, complicity and collusion of BJP-ABVP-University authorities in perpetuating anti-poor, anti-dalit agenda on the University campus”.
“Regrettably, had this decision been taken prior to January 17, 2016; Rohith Vemula would have been alive today,” party’s chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala said. He said the decision to revoke order confirmed the “lies, deception and falsehood” meted out by the HRD Minister.
Congress, he said, therefore, demands that Irani and Dattatreya as also Appa Rao should be immediately sacked.
The party called for a sitting High Court judge to inquire into the role of Irani, Dattatreya and University authorities.
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has also targeted Irani and Dattatreya, saying the ministers and the VC have “not acted fairly” that forced the Dalit scholar to take the extreme step.
JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav also described the incident as a “national shame” and accused the government of working against the interests of students from deprived sections of the society. He also demanded immediate removal of Irani and Dattatreya and pushed for a CBI inquiry into the whole episode.
The BJP on its part hit back at the opposition parties on their criticism of the Modi government over the incident, claiming that they were using the “opportunity for cheap political advantage” while its ally Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) sought an “independent probe” by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or some other agency.
LJP Parliamentary Board Chairman Chirag Paswan sought a thorough probe into the issue by “an independent investigating agency like CBI or any other body.” “There is a need to find out what led to Rohith to take this extreme step. The probe should be carried out by some independent investigating agency – be it CBI or some other. I am not saying that only CBI should probe it,” he said.