28, Feb 2016

Referring to Irani’s comments in Lok Sabha last week on Vemula’s death, the Congress said the BJP was “waging a war against Dalits” while the CPI(M) said “untruth and lies” were uttered in the Lower House.

By: Express News Service
New Delhi Updated: Feb 28, 2016, 3:02

Turning up the heat on Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani, the Congress and CPI(M) said Saturday that they would move notices to bring a privilege motion against her for “misleading Parliament” on the events surrounding the suicide of Dalit student Rohith Vemula.
Referring to Irani’s comments in Lok Sabha this week on Vemula’s death, the Congress said the BJP was “waging a war against Dalits” while the CPI(M) said “untruth and lies” were uttered in the Lower House.
The Union HRD Minister “has not only been economical with the truth but has also willfully misled the Parliament” on the suicide of Vemula, alleged AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik during a joint press conference with former union ministers Kumari Selja and Manish Tewari.
The Congress leaders questioned Irani’s statement in Lok Sabha that when Telangana police reached the Hyderabad university hostel, they found the room open and the body of Vemula on the table. Irani had said that according to police, “no one allowed a doctor near this child, to revive this child.”
Wasnik said, “On the other hand Rohith Vemula’s mother, Radhika Vemula, has told the media that her other son, Raja, reached the university at 8.30 pm and there was a doctor and policemen inside. Raja Vemula has corroborated the statement.”