Watch: Smriti Irani take on Rahul over Rohith Vemula suicide issue

Smriti Irani on Wednesday sought to know where Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was when more than 600 students died during the Telangana movement.

Accusing the main opposition of practicing political opportunism over Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula’s suicide, Union human resource and development minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday sought to know where Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was when more than 600 students died during the Telangana movement.

HRD minister Smriti Irani speaks in the Lok Sabha in New Delhi on Wednesday. (PTI)

“Did Rahul go once? No. Have you ever seen Rahul Gandhi going to one spot twice? No, never. He saw a political opportunity here,” Irani said.

“Today I am being accused of discrimination. One student dies and there is political battle over it. In my 20 months as minister, I have served my country, people without any prejudice. I did my duty, and I won’t apologise for it,” said Irani in response to Vemula’s suicide in Parliament’s budget session.

“Indira Gandhi too lost in elections, but her son never supported anti-India slogans,” the HRD minister said.

Irani said she would retire from politics if any vice-chancellor of an Indian university accused her of saffronising education.

“I have been accused that with which authority, do I write letters to Universities?” Irani asked.

Watch her full speech below: Just because I contested from Amethi, you would crucify me, says Smriti Irani