Congress will raise dalit issue in Parliament

The Congress will raise the issue of atrocities against dalits, in the light of the suicide by a dalit scholar in the Hyderabad Central University, during the Budget Session of Parliament in February. However, it is tighlipped on whether the issue will be raised under an adjournment motion.

A strategist of the Congress parliamentary party on Saturday said the party would certainly raise it in the two Houses of Parliament. While the main Opposition has been pressing for the resignation of Union ministers Smriti Irani and Bandaru Dattatreya for giving a caste twist to this issue, the BJP got completely isolated on it. Dalit MPs of the BJP too have openly disapproved the handling of the issue by Ms Irani and Mr Dattatreya.

While anti-BJP parties have blamed the Centre for mishandling the issue, BJP allies and friendly parties are refusing to back the government by maintaining silence on it.

Senior AICC spokesperson Anand Sharma said Saturday, “We can’t be satisfied by a belated, delayed response and some emotional words expressed by Prime Minister on Friday in Lucknow. There have been contradictions ever since the suicide — the tragic death — of Rohith Vemula in Hyderabad. BJP, as a political party, made statements which were insulting and hurtful. Instead of being sincere in expression of sympathies, the ministers including Ms Irani and Mr Dattatreya did act in a manner which calls for not only condemnation but action.”

Rahul Gandhi Saturday said if Mr Modi getting “emotional” while expressing grief over the suicide by Rohith is for real, he should remove the vice-chancellor. “I want to say if his (Mr Modi’s) tears are real, he should remove the VC.... It’s OK that an inquiry has been ordered but first remove him and later take action as per the inquiry report,” he said.