'My name is Smriti Irani, now tell my caste'

After a face-off with the BSP supremo in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday morning, Union Minister for Human Resources Development Smriti Irani, during her intervention in the Lok Sabha laced with emotions and melodrama in the afternoon, thundered, "My name is Smriti Irani. I challenge you to tell my caste."

In her speech at the fag end of the adjournment motion moved by the Opposition to debate 'situation arising out of recent incidents in institutions of higher education with reference to JNU and Hyderabad universities,' Irani's impassioned intervention using her acumen of passion bordering on sensation, targeted the opposition, as she reeled out letter after letter from her files, written to her by Opposition benches seeking favours from her, right from seeking admissions in central schools to appointing someone in universities. At one point, even the Speaker Sumitra Mahajan had a word of caution, reminding Irani that it was her job as a minister to act on MPs' requests.

Over the past few days, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ministers had for the first time, since assuming office approached the Opposition for the smooth conduct of the Budget session, in the wake of washout of the past two sessions consecutively, affecting the reforms agenda. But the aggression and pugnacious attitude Irani displayed in the House has once again soured relations, raising clouds again on the functioning of Parliament, more particularly in the Rajya Sabha, where the Opposition has the majority. As she started naming Opposition MPs, for seeking favours from her, the Congress, TMC and the Left walked out in protest, while the RJD, BJD, TRS and SP stayed on.

While she was sentimental, even breaking down on the Opposition targeting her on the suicide of Hyderabad-based scholar Rohith Vemula last month, Home Minister Rajnath Singh who replied in the five-hour long debate was more political. He also praised Irani's speech, saying, it was not just an eye-opener for the Lok Sabha but for the nation too.

In contrast to Irani's spirited defence asserting that she was doing her duty as a minister, the Home Minister said about the JNU incident: "No need for debate as the whole case is sub-judice. Wait for the judicial pronouncement." Rubbishing allegations that Rohith was persecuted because he was a Dalit, Irani targeted Rahul for using his tragic death for political purposes. "Had Rahul Gandhi requested me to accompany him to JNU and jointly appealed to the students to remember what nationalism is, I would have happily gone. But he did not do that. My request is help me build this nation, not destroy it from within," she said.

Earlier, the debate on the JNU row and Hyderabad University listed in the Lok Sabha on Thursday was advanced to Wednesday while one scheduled on Wednesday in the Rajya Sabha derailed because of the day-long tantrums of BSP supremo Mayawati. Leader of Congress Mallikarjuna Kharge forced the Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to hold the debate on Wednesday itself.

Jyotiraditya Scindia of the Congress initiated debate on the situation arising out of recent incidents in the central institutions of higher education with reference to JNU and University of Hyderabad, bitterly attacking the government for silencing voices of dissent and not sparing even the young students. With Rahul Gandhi sitting next to him thumping the desk repeatedly, Scindia concluded with a pointer to PM Modi's slogan of "Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas" to assert that everyone in the country is now asking "Kiska Sath aur Kiska Vikas." The ruling BJP fielded its youth wing chief Anurag Thakur to slam the Congress and Rahul in particular for siding with the anti-national elements.