Don't do vote-bank politics over death, BJP to Rahul

The BJP on Tuesday rejected the Congress's demand for the resignation of Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and appealed to Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi not to do vote-bank politics over a Dalit student's death.

"Rahul Gandhi is a non-serious part-time politician. He has gone to Hyderabad for a photo opportunity. We appeal to him not to do vote-bank politics over a death," BJP's national secretary and media convenor Srikant Sharma told reporters here.

Gandhi on Tuesday visited the University of Hyderabad premises and favoured the students' demand for action against Dattatreya, the university vice chancellor and others allegedly responsible for the suicide of a Dalit doctoral scholar.

Sharma said the Congress's demand for Dattatreya's resignation was based on baseless allegations.

"Demanding resignation of Bandaru ji is baseless. There is no truth over the charges levelled against him," he said.

Sharma said Dattatreya only forwarded the letter of a student member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) to the human resource development ministry. ABVP is the students wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).