Congress leader and Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy today demanded that the Telangana government immediately suspend the Turkayamjal municipal Commissioner for allegedly insulting a Dalit councillor of the municipality.
Speaking at a protest organised by Congress cadres at Asifnagar, Reddy alleged that it had become a habit of the TRS regime to foist false cases against those who were raising their voices against its "autocratic" rule, and demanded that the "false case" against the councillor be withdrawn.
"The TRS-led state government has repeatedly revealed its discriminatory attitude towards the Dalit community while hypocritically also claiming that it its committed to the development and empowerment of the community," the leader thundered.
"Today is a dark day for the entire municipality. The behaviour of the Turkayamjal municipal Commissioner has been shameful. If the TRS regime does not take any steps to punish the official for his casteist remarks and his ill-treatment of a Dalit councillor, our party will hold massive agitations across the state. The Commissioner must be suspended," he reiterated.
One wonders what effect this will have on the TRS' prospects in the upcoming Huzurabad by-election. Many leaders in the Opposition have claimed that the party has introduced its new Dalit Bandhu scheme
in order to clinch the seat that was recently vacated by former minister Etala Rajender, by wooing the Dalits of the region.