New Delhi, Jun 20 (IANS): The BJP on Wednesday accused the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) of using the family of Hyderabad University student Rohith Vemula for political motives.

"I was anxious after reading Rohith Vemula's mother's statement. For how long will some opposition parties continue playing politics over it? The family is financially unstable and fake assurance of money was made to a distressed mother for political purposes," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Piyush Goyal told reporters here.

"In her statement, Radhika Vemula said IUML made false promises of providing a sum of Rs 20 lakh and asked her to address their rallies and misrepresent the unfortunate incident," Goyal claimed.

He said she was asked to travel to Kerala and address the rallies for the IUML.

Rohith Vemula, a PhD student at Hyderabad University, committed suicide in the campus on January 17, 2016. His suicide triggered a massive row as the opposition parties described it as a case of atrocities against Dalits.

Lashing out at the IUML leaders, the BJP leader said: "According to his mother, the IUML gave them two cheques of Rs 2.5 lakh, out of which one bounced."

Targeting Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Goyal said, "I received information that even Congress President took Vemula's family to stages and asked them to make statements."

"Rahul Gandhi should apologise for doing petty politics," he said.