Smriti Irani Lied in Parliament: Rohith Vemula’s Family
Two facts of Indian politics:
Fact 1. All politicians are corrupt.
Fact 2. If you think, some of them are not corrupt, see Fact 1.
By Rakesh Raman
Radhika Vemula, the mother of 26-year-old student Rohith Vemula who had committed suicide last month to escape the tyranny of Indian government, is demanding justice for her son’s death.
“My son died of torture. How many more deaths will it take for the (BJP) government to deliver justice?” Radhika asked.
Radhika was particularly responding to the statements given in the Parliament by India’s HRD / education minister Smriti Irani when she was presenting her defence in the Lok Sabha debate on Rohith’s death.
Radhika Vemula and a Rohith’s friend allege that Smriti Irani told blatant lies in the Parliament and, in fact, Rohith was forced to commit suicide under excessive pressure by Smriti Irani and other BJP politicians.
Many believe that it was not a simple case of suicide but a “dreadful institutional murder” of Rohith Vemula committed by the Narendra Modi-led BJP government.
[ Was it an Institutional Murder of Rohith Vemula? ]
Opposition parties in India are up in arms about the wrong facts given by Smriti Irani on Rohith’s Dalit status and the handling of the entire case that led to Rohith’s death.
Congress leader Mukul Wasnik said Saturday that the party has decided to move a privilege motion against HRD minister Smriti Irani for misleading Parliament.
Wasnik said Smriti Irani lied when she said that no one allowed a doctor near this child, to revive this child. In fact, when Rohith Vemula’s brother Raja reached the University at 8.30 p.m., there was a doctor and policemen inside.
[ Also Read: How India Abuses Children’s Right to Education ]
“Smriti Irani had also insinuated that Rohith Vemula is not a Dalit. This claim has also been rubbished by Rohit Vemula’s mother, Radhika Vemula,” Wasnik said.
Along with Congress, the CPI(M) and the Janata Dal (United) could also move a privilege motion against Smriti Irani in both houses of Parliament on Monday.
Most in India’s academic circles believe that Smriti Irani should immediately be removed from the position of the education minister because she herself is a totally uneducated woman.
[ Read: Meet the Uneducated Education Minister of India ]
Smriti Irani’s illiteracy also reflects in her unruly behaviour and random actions that are further destroying India’s already crumbling education system.
It is not only the case of Hyderabad University where Rohith Vemula committed suicide, but Smriti Irani’s undue interference in other academic institutions is also being challenged by the academic communities in India.
The latest case is of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in India’s capital New Delhi where BJP and Smriti Irani used the police force to crush the dissenting voices of students. A few JNU students have been arrested by the police under the draconian sedition law, which BJP used to suppress the student opposition.
But PM Modi is not expected to throw out Smriti Irani because he wants himself to be surrounded by such obedient ministers, however incompetent or corrupt they may be.
The other BJP leaders who are facing serious corruption charges include Foreign Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Rajasthan Chief Minsiter Vasundhara Raje, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel.
But Modi has not taken any action against any of them. So, Smriti Irani can also feel safe under Modi’s direct patronage. But the people at large will continue to suffer under the incompetent Modi government for three more years till the next Lok Sabha election of 2019.
By Rakesh Raman, the managing editor of RMN Company
You also can read: More Articles by the RMN Editor, Rakesh Raman
