Sack VC if your tears are real, Rahul tells Modi

Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said if Prime Minister Narendra Modi getting “emotional” while expressing grief over the suicide by Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula in Hyderabad Central University is for real, he should remove the vice chancellor.

 “I want to say if his (Modi’s) tears are real, he should remove the VC.... it’s ok that an inquiry has been ordered but first remove him and later take action as per the inquiry report,” Rahul told newspersons on the sidelines of his padyatra in drought-hit areas of Bundelkhand region.

“What happened in Hyderabad or what is happening in universities and colleges, call it intolerance or whatever, is an attempt to force one ideology on everyone,” Rahul said.    

“This is an attempt to suppress the voice and vigour of students of all communities. The prime minister expressed his sadness over it, the same say, he also shed tears but I want to ask why the vice chancellor, who tried to suppress one ideology which forced a student to commit suicide, has not been removed,” he said.

Rahul said Modi should stop speaking and start acting as the Dalits, poor and others are looking to him whether he will take action or not.

The Congress vice president had visited the HyderabadCentralUniversity and interacted with students over the issue.

Earlier, during his 7-km long padyatra to highlight the plight of farmers of drought-hit Bundelkhand region, Rahul said, “Yesterday, we saw Modiji becoming emotional, he paused during his speech (at BBAU convocation) and had tears in his eyes... I want to tell Modiji that the food you eat, the pulse which is today selling at Rs 220 is provided to you by farmers.”

 “I would ask Modiji to think a little for the farmers, labourers and the poor because they too run the country and it is not only industrialists who do so. So, think about them as well,” Rahul said in Mahoba, about 230 kilometre from Lucknow. 

Image: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi addressing the crowds during a padyatra in Mahoba, Uttar Pradesh. Photograph: PTI