Congress Stages Walkout On Karimnagar Dalit Rape Case

The main Opposition party in Telangana, the Congress, today staged a walkout in protest against the government refusing to offer a clarification on the rape case of a dalit girl in Veenavanka of the Karimnagar district.

Leader of Opposition K Jana Reddy tried in vain to get a clarification from the treasury benches on the rape case. When he insisted on a clarification, Deputy Speaker Padma Devender Reddy rejected his appeal. Legislative Affairs Minister T Harish Rao read out the rule of the procedures and urged the Chair not to give permission for a clarification on the issue as Home Minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy had already made a statement in the House. Since the Home Minister himself had given a statement with all the details, there was no need for any more clarifications, he asserted.

Rao observed that Jana Reddy was the senior-most leader in the House, and was well-versed with the legislature procedures. "The government is ready to take up any other issue and give a clarification," he said.

Jana Reddy expressed displeasure at this, and walked out of the House along with other Congress members.

Earlier, Congress Deputy Leader T Jeevan Reddy registered his angst at the Chair denying them a chance to talk on the rape case. Denial of a debate on the rape was indicative of the government's negligence towards atrocities against the dalit community, he said, and expressed suspicion that the police were hand in glove with the culprits in the case.

Narasimha Reddy had earlier read out a statement that the government had ordered an inquiry in addition to taking action against a couple of police officials. A fast-track court would be set up to deal with the case, and stringent steps would be taken after a forensic report followed by a medical report were available, Narasimha Reddy had said.