Telangana Worse Than UP In Atrocities Against Dalits: Congress

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president & MP N Uttam Kumar Reddy today strongly condemned the rise in atrocities against dalits across the state, and expressed his resolve to fight to get justice for the victims.

Reddy was speaking to the media at Gandhi Bhavan after Congress leaders interacted with many dalit victims from across the state.

The program was organized by TPCC SC Department Chairman Preetam.

The family members of a farmer Narasimha from Gajwel constituency, who committed suicide, explained how the TRS government forcibly took away their land which drove Narasimha to suicide.

Similarly, the family members of Rajababu of Mallaram in Bhupalpally district explained how he was brutally murdered by TRS leaders.

Reddy also spoke to the father of a 13-year-old dalit girl who was set ablaze after she resisted rape.

A total of eight dalit families who were subjected to atrocities including rape attempts, murders, suicides, land grabbing etc. shared their grievances with the Congress leaders.

Reddy, along with other leaders, heard all the families, and promised that the Congress would fight to get justice for them.

He also distributed Rs 50,000 to each of those families, the money being donated by ex-MLA K Lakshma Reddy.

Speaking to the media later, Reddy alleged that dalits were being subjected to discrimination, torture and other kind of atrocities in the state ever since the TRS came to power. He said that the TRS government was taking away the lands of poor dalits, and the community was being subjected to atrocities to the level that they were now even being murdered by the ruling party leaders or being driven to suicide. He also said that poor dalits girls were being raped routinely.

Lamenting that the government was not taking any action to stop such incidents, Reddy promised that the Congress would fight against the atrocities on the dalits, and would not rest until the families of all victim got justice.

Reddy also claimed that there was a clear anti-dalit bias in the TRS. He pointed out that KCR had promised in 2014 to make a dalit the CM if the TRS was voted to power, but grabbed the top position himself after his party won the elections. He also did not induct even a single dalit into his cabinet although the community constituted more than 20% of the total population, but inducted several ministers from his own community into his cabinet and other top positions in the government.

Instead of giving dalits their due share in power, KCR was trying to deprive them of their constitutional right to a dignified life, he alleged.

He added that Telangana had turned worse than Uttar Pradesh in terms of atrocities on dalits, and warned the CM of dire consequences if his government continued to target the dalit community.

AICC Secretary A Sampath Kumar, TPCC Vice-President & ex-MP Dr Mallu Ravi and other leaders were also present on the occasion.