Congress to move privilege motion against Smriti Irani

New Delhi, Feb 27 (IANS) The opposition Congress on Saturday decided to move a privilege motion against HRD minister Smriti Irani for misleading parliament over the JNU row and the death of a Dalit student in Hyderabad university.

"The Congress will move a privilege motion against the HRD minister for misleading the parliament," Congress general secretary Mukul Wasnik told reporters here at a press conference jointly addressed by former union ministers Kumari Selja and Manish Tewari.

"The minister has not only been economical with the truth but has also wilfully misled the parliament on the unfortunate suicide of a young Dalit student, Rohith Vemula," he added.

Wasnik also said that the statement of Irani in parliament was contrary to the claims made by Rohith's mother.

"The strong words from Rohith Vemula's mother, who has lost her son to BJP and in particular the HRD minister's campus politics, is a stamp of how recklessly and ruthlessly their party is hell bent on clamping down the voices of dissent," Wasnik said while quoting remarks made by Rohith's mother Radhika Vemula.

Radhika had said on Friday that she wanted to meet Smriti Irani and ask her on what basis did she declare Rohith to be anti-national.