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Many called me an 'Anpadh Mantri', says Smriti Irani in Rajya Sabha

Let Me Declare There Are Many Who Have Called Me 'anpadh Mantri' (illiterate Minister). I Do Not Claim I Am As Erudite A Speaker As Yechury Ji. I Am Accused Of Drama So Let Me Quote Macbeth. 'Fair Is Foul And Foul Is Fair' - That Is How Macbeth Begins, Indicating That Nothing Is At It Seems, She Said.

News Nation Bureau | Edited By : Bindiya Bhatt | Updated on: 25 Feb 2016, 08:10:13 PM

New Delhi:

Education Minister Smriti Irani on Thursday appeared to slam Sitaram Yechury by quoting Rohith Vemula, a Dalit scholar who allegedly committed suicide at the hostel room of Hyderabad Central University.

She read out a text from Rohith’s Facebook page about Yechury. The text was posted back in November 2015.

"I have a letter from Rohith's Facebook page about Mr Yechury. In November 2015 he wrote, 'Mr Yechury talking about reservation is funny...he wants reservation in private sector. I am in this doubt that Yechury sees his party as a private agency. And he's waiting till the amendment is made so that he can convince his party to take Dalits into his party'," she said.

"When I came to this House, what excited me most was the fact that I would meet political stalwarts," the Education Minister said. 

She also said that many people have termed her 'anpadh mantri'.

"Let me declare there are many who have called me 'anpadh mantri' (illiterate minister). I do not claim I am as erudite a speaker as Yechury Ji. I am accused of drama so let me quote Macbeth. 'Fair is foul and foul is fair' - that is how Macbeth begins, indicating that nothing is at it seems," she said.

She also said that she spoke to Rohith’s mother but never disclosed it publically.

"I have not ever publicly disclosed it, but I also spoke to his (Rohith's) mother," Education Minister Smriti Irani said.

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First Published : 25 Feb 2016, 08:07:00 PM

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