Minister's name in FIR poses a fresh challenge for Modi

Snowballing protest over Hyderabad Dalit student's suicide posed fresh political challenge for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with union minister Bandaru Dattatreya’s name figuring in the FIR.

It also provided fresh fodder to the Opposition to put the centre on the mat ahead of Budget session of Parliament.

The incident also generated heat within the BJP given that party national executive member Sanjay Paswan took on his own government, warning it to be ready to face “revolt” and “reactions” if it failed to view seriously student Rohit Vemula suicide case.

 “The stake holders of power politics must take serious note of Rohit Vemula episode or be ready to face wrath, revenge, revolt, reactions,” the BJP Dalit leader and former union minister tweeted.

Paswan also led the Scheduled Caste wing of the party in the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

When asked to comment on Paswan’s critique, a BJP leader explained that the party has already acted on the episode by condemning the suicide and HRD ministry has constituted a team to probe Vemula’s suicide.

What has irked the Opposition was the Central government’s alleged intervention in student politics of Hyderabad Central University as they claimed that action against Vemula was taken after HRD ministry egged on the university over a letter from union minister Dattatreya, who is also the local MP from Secunderabad. BJP general secretary Shrikant Sharma, however, denied any link between HRD ministry’s communication to the university and action against Vemula.

He said that the university took action against the research scholar before Smriti Irani’s ministry forwarded Dattatreya’s letter for a response.