Rohith Vemula Bharatmata's doting child: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday described the research scholar of Hyderabad Central University, Rohith Vemula, as Bharatmata's doting child. The circumstances that led to the suicide by Rohith were therefore unfortunate. The loss of Rohith's mother should be acknowledged, keeping aside all political differences. The Prime Minister made references to Rohith both in Varanasi indirectly earlier and later in Lucknow speeches. With his government under attack over the dalit student's suicide in Hyderabad, the Prime Minister said his government was committed to the welfare of dalits, poor and the oppressed. At a function to distribute aids to differently-abled persons in his constituency, he referred to dalits but made no mention of the controversy over the suicide of the dalit research scholar. He fully dealt with Rohith in his Lucknow address. "This government is dedicated to the poor - dalits, oppressed and deprived and will attempt to do something for those who have to suffer in life. This government is committed to the welfare of the poor and how their lives can be changed and this government has been making constant efforts in this regard," he said The Prime Minister was speaking at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar university convocation in Lucknow. It was disrupted after some students raised slogans against him.The students, seated near the last rows of the auditorium, raised slogans against Modi as soon as he got on stage to make his address. Modi said one is faced with problems in life. He should be able to solve them one after another rather than succumb to them, he said in obvious reference to Rohith. Opposition parties made it a point to criticise him day in and day out, but he is undeterred. His mantra was to help the people. The Prime Minister continued with the speech in Lucknow and no further disruption took place.