Rohith's suicide is being misrepresented with "malicious intent" as "a Dalit vs non-Dalit confrontation," Ms Irani said today.
Education minister Smriti Irani "should have responded earlier, but I welcome the response," said senior BJP leader Sanjay Paswan, after the minister spoke about the suicide of Hyderabad research scholar Rohith Vemula and said it was being misrepresented as a caste battle.
As student protests spread across the country and Opposition parties have united in their attack on the government over the student's death, the ruling BJP also faces a debate at home.
Mr Paswan, a senior Dalit face of the party, had warned on Tuesday, "The stake holders of power politics must take serious note of Rohit Vemula episode or be ready to face wrath, revenge, revolt, reactions."
Today, he also said, "She (Smriti Irani) should have responded earlier but really welcome her response. This not enough but is a general problem. Why are students taking remorse to suicides? Especially the poor or the Dalit students." He said that it was not a political issue but an academic one.
The BJP's Bihar ally, Ram Vilas Paswan, who draws his political support from Dalits and other backward castes in the state, has sent a team to Hyderabad to learn more about Rohith's suicide and the events that led up to it.
He would discuss its report with the Prime Minister, he said, adding, "The suicide of Dalit student from Hyderabad Rohith Vemula is a heart rending incident. LJP demands a high-level impartial probe into it."
Rohith, 26, hanged himself on Sunday, days after he and four other Dalit students were suspended by the Hyderabad University for allegedly beating up an activist of the BJP's student wing. Their access was barred to the hostel, library and cafeteria, though they were allowed to attend classes.
Student protesters and opposition parties allege that the five Dalit students were subjected to caste discrimination. They also allege that Ms Irani's ministry pushed for the students to be punished by sending five reminders to the university's Vice Chancellor after another union minister Bandaru Dattatreya wrote to the Education Ministry demanding action against them.
Rohith's suicide is being misrepresented with "malicious intent" as "a Dalit vs non-Dalit confrontation," Ms Irani said today.
Mr Dattatreya and the Vice Chancellor are being investigated for aiding the suicide and have denied any wrongdoing.