Where was your rage when 9 Dalit students died earlier: Govt. to Congress

Maintaining that the Congress was going out of their way to politicize the alleged suicide of Rohith Vemula, the Centre hit out at the grand old party asking them where their 'anger' was when nine Dalit students had committed suicide earlier at the Hyderabad Central University during the UPA regime.

"The Congress and other parties are trying to make a political issue out of this and are making a beeline for Hyderabad, forgetting that nine such deaths had happened before during the Congress regime. Why is the anger and the violence emerging now?," Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu told ANI.

Raking up the case of Congress candidate Sircilla Rajaiah, a former MP who found himself embroiled in a police case after his daughter-in-law allegedly killed herself and his three grandsons, Naidu said that Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi never bothered to visit the grieving family then, but was making noise now over Rohith's suicide.

"At the time nobody went to their family to console them and no tears were shed then. This is part of their anti-Modi campaign and our government remains committed to the welfare of Dalits. This is nothing but cheap politics," Naidu said.

Further accusing the Congress of trying to 'pollute' the atmosphere of the University, he added that it was acceptable to express sympathy, solidarity and condemn the incident but warned that the grand old party would do well to remember their past.

Assuring of astute action being taken in the case of Rohith Vemula, Naidu said that judicial enquiry commission should be allowed to conduct a thorough investigation after which the perpetrators could be brought to justice.

"Rohith left a suicide note expressing certain views. Now the government of India has appointed a judicial commission headed by a formed judge of the Allahabad High Court. Let them complete their job and find the truth including the circumstances and those responsible, and help in taking preventive measures so that such things don't happen in the future," he said.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi is on a day-long hunger strike along with the other protesting students at the Hyderabad Central University.

"I am here today at the request of Rohith's friends and family, to stand with them in their fight for justice. A young life full of dreams and aspirations was cut short. We owe it to him, to the memory of Gandhiji, to every single Indian student who dreams of an India free from prejudice and injustice," Rahul said.

Rahul, who arrived here at 12.10 am, also participated in a candle light march by 2000 students to mark Rohith's birth anniversary last night.

This is the Congress vice president's second visit to Hyderabad since the Dalit scholar's suicide as he had visited the university on January 19 and met agitating students and Rohith's family members.