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Sack Smriti for misleading people on Dalit's suicide: Cong

  •   Thu, Jan 21 2016 06:18:07 PM

New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS): The Congress on Thursday demanded the sacking of Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani from the cabinet for "misleading" people about the suicide of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula in Hyderabad.

Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala told reporters here that the "anti-Dalit mindset of the BJP and the RSS" has been manifesting itself over the last 20 months in various forms across the country.

"The minister has hoodwinked, misled the country and it is one more attempt on part of the (Narendra) Modi government to perpetuate their anti-poor and anti-Dalit agenda. She should be sacked forthwith," Surjewala said.

Vemula ended his life on Sunday. He was staging a protest along with four other Dalit research scholars over their suspension following an alleged clash with some leaders of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, a students wing of the RSS.

Surjewala said union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, "on whose letter the HRD ministry had pressurised for expulsion of the five Ph.D. Dalit students", should also be removed from the cabinet.

He said a university board had, in its first report, revoked the suspension of the five Ph.D. Dalit scholars and alleged that its decision was reversed under pressure of the HRD ministry and the vice chancellor.

He said the SC/ST Forum of teachers of Hyderabad University also has found fault with some of Irani's remarks.

Surjewala said Irani and the Bharatiya Janata Party should tell if the university had taken action against the five Dalit scholars for their slight verbal argument with the campus ABVP chief.

"Was the quantum and nature of punishment justified? Does the HRD minister and her colleague Bandaru Dattatreya feel that anyone who does not agree with the opinion of the BJP or ABVP activists is anti-national?" Surjewala asked and added that there was no apology for the mistakes.

Surjewala also asked if Irani should "as a mother" and custodian of educational institutions not have visited the family of Vemula to offer condolences.

The Congress spokesperson asked Irani if she agreed with her ministerial colleague Ramvilas Paswan's suggestion that there should be an inquiry into the scholar's death.

Surjewala sought action against vice chancellor Appa Rao, BJP legislator Ramchandra Rao and Dattatreya. "They should be arrested in the case," he said.

Surjewala said adequate compensation should be given to the family of Vemula.
  

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Comment on this article

  • Vishal, Mangalore

    Thu, Jan 21 2016

    The HRD is a very important department and should be under the care of a very well qualified person. By no stretch of imagination does Smriti Irani have this. She should be shunted out of this department and transferred to some other place like to take care of Swatch Bharat programme or something like that. Modi has done a great disservice to the nation by appointing Smriti to this post. The earlier she is removed from this post, the better it will be for the country and the students.

    DisAgree Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai

    Thu, Jan 21 2016

    BJP gives only CLEAN CHIT ...

    DisAgree Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • Kusuma Kumari CHiitti G , Nellore/Kodyadka

    Thu, Jan 21 2016

    It is sad even after so many years after independence such things are happening in Andhrapradesh. May things change. No innocent man must be puniched espeically a Dalit man. They suffered so much under high class Hindus in older days.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [10] Reply Report Abuse

  • A. S. Mathew, U.S.A.

    Thu, Jan 21 2016

    Very true. The Dalits have suffered too much agony through the oppression of the so called high caste people. This event will open their eyes, 300 million Dalits will wake up.

    Even living at my bonus years of life, certain mistreatments watched in my younger days are too hard to erase from the memory.

    While studying at the Upper Primary school in 1957, as a twelve year boy, I did watch a horrible scene of physical torture undertaken by the so called high caste people towards a crying and begging Dalit. Near the school, there was a very old prominent Temple with golden flag pole. If the Dalits are entering at that Temple, they will be beaten.

    The high class people demanded the Dalit to work in the Temple free of wages to undertake some menial job. When he refused that demand, he was ruthlessly beaten and nobody did interfere. Now those upper class lost their address. Also, another instance where my own uncle spanked a dalit boy who was playing with me totally disregarding his dad's crying appeal, that has broken by heart for ever.

    DisAgree Agree [7] Reply Report Abuse


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