BJP Targets Rahul for Not Visiting Family of Kerala Rape Victim

Kochi: BJP on Thursday targeted Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi for not visiting the family of a Dalit woman, who was raped and murdered in Perumbavoor in Kerala nearly two weeks ago.

"Why Rahul Gandhi has not visited Kerala? He could visit Hyderabad two times after the unfortunate suicide of Rohit Vemula in Hyderabad University," senior BJP leader and Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said.

Hitting back at Congress and CPIM over the Hyderabad University incidents, Naidu claimed SFI leader and University Students Union General Secretary Raju Kumar Sahu has quit SFI in protest against the opportunistic politics and propaganda being allegedly played over Vemula's suicide.

He said Sahu, in his resignation letter, has said the student body heading the suicide agitation - the Joint Action Committee and the university's SFI unit, were funded by Congress and CPIM.

"I would like Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist) to react on what has been said by the General Secretary of Hyderabad Central University Students Union. He is a SFI activist. He resigned yesterday, held a press conference and exposed SFI, CPIM and Congress. "He said the entire agitation was politically motivated.

He said Congress and Left are funding the Hyderabad University movement," the minister told a press conference convened at Nedumbassery.

Naidu said "this is not our charge...These are the charges made by the General Secretary of Hyderabad Central University" and urged to both Congress and CPIM to "explain". Naidu also accused Congress of "diverting" people's attention by raising "unnecessary" issues.

Reacting to Congress' attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remark comparing Kerala with Somalia, Naidu said, "they are trying to divert attention of people".

"Issue in Kerala is corruption. Issue in Kerala is what happened in Perumbavoor. They are trying to unnecessary divert issues. Let them answer. What about solar scam, what about bar scam, what about palmolein scam, 2G scam," he asked and urged Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and senior Congress leader AK Antony to answer these questions.