Several union ministers and BJP leaders lashed out at the Congress vice president over his protests at the Hyedrabad Central University for "doing politics" over the death and wondered why he offered no condolences when nine Dalit students of the institute ended their lives during the UPA rule.
Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said Rahul never bothered to visit the campus or offer condolences when nine students committed suicide and asked opposition parties to wait for the report of the judicial commission probe ordered by the Centre.
Another Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said Gandhi was trying to make the Hyderabad varsity a den of political activity.
"The government has set up a judicial commission and peace has come to the Hyderabad campus. At such a time, Rahul Gandhi is doing politics there. While seeking to side with students, he should not make the university a den of political activity.
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Rural Development Minister Birender Singh took a potshot at Congress, saying the party reduced from 206 MPs to 44 MPs was "politicising every issue" and there was nothing new in it.
BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said the Congress' protests reflected the opposition party's "frustration" as its leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul besides most Congress chief ministers were facing corruption charges.
"At a place where students go to study, Rahul Gandhi is trying to vitiate its atmosphere. It shows how much frustrated Congress is that it is doing politics over a student's death. Such a divisive politics is poisonous and BJP condemns it," he said.
"Rahul Gandhi's characteristic way of functioning was to shun responsibility and gatecrash into others' protests... The way he has shown insensitivity is the reason why I say he and responsibility cannot travel together," he told the media.
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BJP general secretary Muralidhar Rao said Congress under Rahul Gandhi is "conspiring along with anti-BJP forces to vitiate the atmosphere by politicising Hyderabad issue".
"Before visiting Hyderabad, Rahul Gandhi does not feel visiting Karnataka his primary responsibility, where thousands of farmers commited suicide," he said.