Veteran Congress leader V Hanumantha Rao today joined the many political leaders who had condemned TRS leader and Parkal MLA Challa Dharma Reddy's recent "anti-Dalit" remarks.
Reddy had caused quite the stir when he reportedly said, "Government officers from backward castes do not know how to work. This has spoiled our state."
Reacting to the statement, VHR came down heavily on the Dharma Reddy, and strongly censured the latter for his words.
The Congress leader said, "The marginalised castes have not opposed Prime Minister Modi's law to provide reservations to the Economically Weaker Sections from the upper caste communities of the state despite the fact that several other groups have been opposing the move. If the Dalits in our state really were as uneducated as Dharma Reddy claims they are, would they have not opposed the laws as well?"
He demanded that Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao take action against the MLA if he was really committed to the welfare of the weaker sections of the state.
VHR said the he would be holding a meeting with the leaders of the various backward communities in the city to condemn the comments of the MLA, and demanded that he attend the meeting and render an apology to the Dalit community.
Another veteran Congress leader and party spokesperson Sravan Dasoju also
railed against Dharma Reddy's comments yesterday, and said they reeked of "racial arrogance". He also demanded that the MLA be made to resign from his post at the earliest.