BJP seeks Oppn apology over ‘exploitation’ of Vemula’s mother
NEWDELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday accused the Opposition of exploiting the sentiments of mother of Rohith Vemula, a scholar whose suicide in 2016 had sparked a major political row, for political gains and sought an apology from Congress chief Rahul Gandhi over this.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal cited reports stating that Vemula’s mother, Radhika Vemula, had accused Indian Union Muslim League, a Kerala-based party, of not giving her the promised ₹20 lakh to attend political rallies where false allegations against the BJP were levelled.
“How long opposition parties will continue with such abhorrent tactics for petty political gains? The condition of the family (Vemula) was not good and she (his mother) was promised money for political reasons so that she could share stage with opposition leaders and level allegations,” Goyal said.
He said the Congress had also shared staged with her and added that it should be found out what allurements were offered to her. “The Congress president should apologise,” he said.
Radhika said the she was never offered money to criticse the BJP or Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She and Rohith’s younger brother Raja Vemula admitted that they had accepted ₹15 lakh offered by the IUML for purchase of a house. “But that has nothing to do with me attacking the BJP or Modi . I have been attacking Modi government out of my anguish,” she said.
“One of the cheques given to the family bounced due to some clerical errors. We came to know about it very late. As soon as it came to our notice we told the family we will make alternate arrangements,” said C K Zubair, general secretary of Muslim Students’ Federation, youth wing of the party that organised a reception for Radhika last year in Kerala.