The dalit activist and writer expressed regret that most political parties did not condemn the attack on him at Parkal on Saturday.
Dalit activist and writer Kancha Ilaiah, whose book on the Arya Vysya community has triggered a bitter controversy, expressed regret that national parties like the Congress, CPM and CPI did not condemn the attack on him at Parkal on Saturday.
He said in a statement, "The Telangana Congress, TDP and other parties were also silent on the issue. Only the Telangana CPM and CPI condemned the attack. The ruling TRS and BJP were all the time supporting the Arya Vysyas and abusing me on the TV channels. No major human rights activists came forward in my support within Telangana, quite tragically."
He said that one of his relatives Dr. Bheenaveni Ramaiah (Assistant Professor of Sociology, Osmania University), his (Ilaiah's) driver and he had narrowly escaped a major murderous attack at Parkal, Bhupalpally district, yesterday by "the Arya-Vysya forces" at 4:45 pm, and that he was issuing his statement in that context.
"There were about 30 and more people with big stones in their hands at the Ambedkar statue at the road junction towards Warangal. Some attackers started chasing my car from Bhupalapalli onwards hitting it from behind with their hands. They would have attacked us at the Bhupalapalli red light cross. But the driver's quick movement once the green light appeared saved us there. But a team was also waiting at Parkal. There, too, our driver took a quick turn to the right, and drove to the nearby police station in Parkal at the highest speed possible. The mob also followed my car up to the police station," he said.
"Thankfully all the police personal quickly covered my vehicle. The CI and SI really provided protection. The Arya Vysyas tried to push themselves into the police station. They waited there till I gave the petition and started with two protection police vehicles. As we reached Ghanpur with the police following us in two vehicles, we saw several Arya Vysyas on the road waiting to attack our car even with the police there. There again the local CI protected us with great skill by taking us through village roads, and we could reach Hyderabad safely in the night at 10pm. It was a fear stricken travel," he added.
Ilaiah said that ever since his effigy-burning on 10th September, 2017, he had to lodge three cases - one in the Osmania PS after the threats of Arya Vysya leaders Ramakrishna and Ramana, one after the "fatwa" issued by T G Venkatesh, MP, and one more after the Parkal attack.
In his two petitions at the Osmania PS against the two Arya Vysya leaders, he requested for strong police protection at his house, but that was not provided, he said.
He said that he was losing faith in the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech. In this fearful situation he said that he was taking the following decisions: "Till October 4, 2017, I impose a house arrest upon myself and will remain at Home. If I need to go out on any personal needs, I will inform the Osmania Police Station. I remain silent for all the media networks of the state. If the networks are national or international, by appointment I may speak. That is also in good faith."
He thanked his driver and the police officials involved in his protection.