Face-off again between Smriti Irani and Mayawati in Rajya Sabha

NEW DELHI: Smriti Irani and Mayawati had a face-off yet again in Rajya Sabha, with the BSP leader today saying she was not convinced by HRD Minister's statement with regard to Rohith Vemula's suicide and asking whether she would implement her two-day-old statement about "chopping off" her head.

The issue related to the suicide by Vemula, a Dalit student of Hyderabad University, also led to a clash between Irani and CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury.

Mayawati, who has been demanding inclusion of a Dalit in the panel probing Vemula's death, slammed the government for appointing a one-man judicial Commission of former Allahabad High Court judge Ashok Kumar Roopanwal.

"To my question whether a Dalit member is part of the Commission, the government has not answered this so far. On February 24, I had asked this question and it has not been answered so far. Justice Roopanwal is from the upper caste. Government's intention is dubious on this," she said.

She added that as per the laws, the government can increase the strength of the commission, and add a Dalit member, but it has not done this so far, which shows its intentions towards the Scheduled Castes.

The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said government's intentions are now clear and it is trying to save the accused "who are from the RSS".

She said that Irani had said in the House two days back that if BSP is not convinced by the clarification of the government, she (Irani) will chop off her head and present it to her. "Since we are not convinced by the government's clarification, will she (Irani) do that," Mayawati asked.

On Wednesday too, the House had witnessed a clash between Irani and Mayawati over the same issue.