Opposition Condemns Nerella, Plans Sircilla Padayatra

The opposition parties of Telangana all condemned the Nerella incident in one voice today, and demanded that the Telangana government extend ex gratia to the victims.

They alleged that the sand contractor in question belonged to KCR's family, and demanded that IT Minister K T Rama Rao tender unconditional apologies to the Sircilla people and resign as minister.

The Congress party SC Cell conducted a round table on the Nerella incident on Thursday at the Press Club at Somajiguda. Speaking on the occasion, TPCC chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy called the incident shameful, and said that the Congress was waging a movement on behalf of the Nerella victims.

"Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and his son K T Rama Rao should apologize to the people of Telangana for the atrocities. But instead of being apologetic for the actions of his police force, KCR heckled former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar when she got into tears while listening to the families of victims narrating the atrocities of the police," he said.

He stressed the need for all the political parties to be united wage movements against such incidents. He also revealed that the Congress had lodged a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission and National SC Commission on the issue.

Reddy said that an all-party delegation would meet the DGP on Friday. He said that they had also sought an appointment with the Governor. The all-party committee would also stage a protest at Ambedkar statue on August 15, and meet the President of India on August 22 and 23, he said.

If the government failed to respond on the issue, the committee would launch a "Chalo Sircilla padayatra", he warned. The downfall of TRS government had started with the Nerella incident, he predicted.

BJP leader Chintha Sambamurthy said that illegal sand business being done with the help of the government was atrocious, and that the BJP was condemning the attacks on dalits in Nerella.

Former judge Chandra Kumar said that he had never come across the kind of "barbaric torture" that the Nerella dalits were subject to. The injuries suffered by the victims had not healed even after 21 days, and many of them were urinating blood, he said. The police had allegedly administered electric shocks to the victims' private parts after stripping them naked, he said. Surprisingly, the police included the name of the village vice-sarpanch, who had informed the police about the incident, in the list of culprits, he said.

CPI leader Bala Swamy alleged that the Telangana government was encouraging violence by sand smugglers. The Chief Minister had raised the curtains for "Gadi rule and dictator rule", he added.

TDP working president Revanth Reddy said that the Nerella incident was sad and the government's attitude was deplorable. Such incidents were taking place all across in Telangana, he claimed. Faulting KTR calling the leaders visiting Nerella "tourists", Reddy dubbed him a "desa dimmari". He also alleged that KTR had direct links with the sand mafia and that he had proof in this regard. He demanded the dismissal of KTR from the cabinet, and announced Rs 10 lakhs as ex gratia to each victim. He also stressed the need of a joint action plan in this regard.

TDP leader Mothkupally Narsimhulu said that the Nerella incident proved that KCR was imposing oppressive rule and police raj in Telangana. An undeclared emergency was going on in Telangana, he said. He asked the state government to file cases against the owners of the lorries which run over people.

"The police beat the victims till their bones were broken. And they threatened the wives of the victims that they would send them to brothels and their children to orphanages. Isn't that a jungle raj?" he asked.

He said that KCR, who was overshadowing the erstwhile Nizam in the brutality of his rule, and his minister son KTR, who claimed he didn't know about the incident, had no right to remain in office. He said that all political parties would extend support to the "Chalo Sircilla Padayatra".

TJAC chairman M Kodandaram congratulated the political parties for all coming onto a single forum to condemn the Nerella incident. "The attack by the police will attract the SC, ST Atrocities Act, and a case should be filed against the SP of the district," he said. He also demanded that the state government make the names of the sand transporters public, and a comprehensive inquiry into the "sand dhandha" by a sitting judge. He said that there was a need to chalk out an action plan to wage movement on the issue.