Hyderabad: Union parliamentary affairs minister M. Venkaiah Naidu criticised Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for visiting UoH for the second time and participating in a day-long fast, and demanded an explanation of the politics behind his visit.
The entire gamut of BJP leaders lambasted Rahul Gandhi and called his visit a classic case of “politics of vulturisation”.
Accusing Mr Gandhi of using students as a “political tool”, the BJP said he was shedding “crocodile tears” over a Dalit scholar’s suicide and ridiculed his day-long fast, saying he was used to gate-crashing into protests by others and shunning his own responsibilities.
Speaking to newsmen in New Delhi, Mr Naidu said if at all Mr Gandhi felt his visit to UoH was not intended to politicising the issue, he needs to explain why he failed to visit the UoH campus during the UPA regime when nine students committed suicide.
He also asked Mr Gandhi to explain why he did not visit Warangal when the daughter-in-law of former Congress MP S. Rajaiah committed suicide along with her children.
Gadkari says Rahul doing politics in UoH
Union parliamentary affairs minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said, “If he is so serious about deaths of students and Dalits he should have visited earlier and found out why nine students commited suicide. Rohith would not have committed suicide then.”
Meanwhile, several other Union ministers and BJP leaders lashed out at Mr Gandhi accusing him of “doing politics”. Mr Naidu asked Opposition parties to wait for the report of the judicial commission probe ordered by the Centre.
Union minister Nitin Gadkari said Mr Gandhi was trying to make the Hyderabad varsity a den of political activity.
“Peace has come to the campus. At such a time, Mr Gandhi is doing politics there. He should not make UoH a den of political activity and think about the students’ future,” he said.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said Mr Gandhi’s fast was a case of trying to score “political brownie points ”.
Telangana BJP spokesperson Krishna Sagar Rao asked, “Why is Mr Gandhi not in Chennai, where three girls committed suicide?”
