Union Ministers Slam Rahul Gandhi Visit To City

Three union ministers today hit out at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi over his joining the protests at Hyderabad Central University (University Of Hyderabad), and asked him not to "politicise" the issue of Dalit student Rohith Vemula's suicide when peace had been restored on the campus.

Union Minister for Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu lashed out at the Opposition, particularly the Congress, for politicizing the suicide.

"Where were they when nine students had committed suicide earlier?" he asked.

He also asked the Congress where it was when three family members of a Congress leader committed suicide in Warangal just before the by-elections. And what did Rahul Gandhi have to say on the incident that happened in Kerala, he demanded to know.

Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said, "Exams are nearing in UOH. All the students are busy with their studies. The government has (already) announced a judicial probe into the matter. Peace has been restored there. But Rahul Gandhi is politicising the issue."

Gadkari asked Gandhi to take up "whatever" issues he wanted during the upcoming Parliament session instead of turning the UOH into a "political hub".

He made these remarks on the sidelines of a consultation program on Clean Ganga.

Another union minister Birender Singh, who too attended the event, also took a pot-shot at Rahul Gandhi and said, "The party which has been reduced to 44 MPs from 206 is politicising every issue. There is nothing new in it."

Gandhi, who flew to Hyderabad on Friday evening, sat on a dharna on the UOH campus along with Dalit students, who were protesting the suicide by Rohith Vemula.