Terming the expulsion of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula from Hyderabad University hostel as a 'small incident', Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kailash Vijaywargiya today said he doubts whether this alone led to suicide by the 'courageous youth'.

"The suicide of Vemula is unfortunate. He was a courageous youth who had a zeal to swim against the tide. Though a probe is on in his death, I don't believe he committed suicide just because of a small incident of his expulsion from the hostel," the BJP general secretary said.

"I don't think he took the extreme step because he was perturbed over his expulsion," he told reporters.

"I think those people who are responsible for his suicide are the ones who are agitating to defame Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government. Once the probe is complete, these people would get exposed," Vijaywargiya maintained.

Asked about Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi taking part in the agitation over Rohith's death, Vijaywargiya said, "Politics should not be done on the issue. Our political rivals are unable to digest that under Modi's leadership, the country's stature is rising in the world and therefore they are indulging in such acts."