Charging that Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani was misleading Parliament on the issue of Dalit scholar Rohith Vermula’s suicide, the Congress today said it would bring a privilege motion against her in both the Houses.
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Mayawati also accused Irani of “indulging in drama” and not doing anything for Vemula’s family. They said that Irani’s statement in Parliament that students did not allow the doctor to reach him was a lie.
Irani said Justice Roopanwal was the Judge of Allahabad High Court, which is in a State of which Mayawati was the Chief Minister and he is a noted jurist.
Former Lok Sabha secretary general Subhash Kashyap said: “If a person says on the floor of the house something which is incorrect or untrue and does so to willfully, deliberately to mislead the house, then a question of privilege may be involved”.
Rohith Vemula’s mother Radhika at the news conference in New Delhi on Friday.
They also contended Irani’s claims that the committee that barred the students from the Hyderabad University was constituted by the previous UPA government, and that it had a member from the SC/ST community. She also lied about there being an SC member on the council.
Rohith, expelled from the Hyderabad Central University’s hostels with four other Dalit students for allegedly attacking a leader of Sangh student arm ABVP, hanged himself in a hostel room on January 17.
As she narrated the descriptive details of the pamphlets, Anand Sharma of Congress took objection, saying it could set a precedent and in future somebody else could repeat it with regard to Gods of other religions. Not one attempt was made to take him to a doctor.
Yechury too launched a fresh tirade against Irani slamming for using a Facebook post to make her argument in the parliament.
Mayawati told reporters outside the parliament, “I asked Smriti Irani ji if any dalit has been included in committee that has been formed to probe into Rohith Vemula suicide case”. He said the lies were regarding statements that no one was allowed the dead body, including police.
“The HRD Minister quoted from a report sent to the ministry by JNU containing partial facts. If he believes this, why has he not taken action against Bandaru Dattatreya and Smriti Irani”.
On Wednesday, Irani and Mayawati had a heated argument over the death of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula. Irani began another theatrical speech, but there was no audience as the Lok Sabha benches were empty – the Opposition walked out before her address began.
However, Kashyap said that it would be for the speaker to accept the version of a minister or a member if they retract on their earlier statement.
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The Opposition claimed that Irani had also insinuated that Vemula was not a Dalit, and pointed that it had been rubbished by Radhika.
