TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that Telangana has turned worse than Uttar Pradesh in terms of atrocities against Dalits and warned the State government not to remain a mute spectator to the rising attacks on them.
Mr. Reddy and a team of Congress leaders met Dalit families who were target of attacks in the State at Gandhi Bhavan on Sunday and distributed ₹50,000 each, donated by former Medchal MLA Kichennagari Lakshma Reddy. The programme was organised by TPCC SC Department chairman Preetam.
Family members of a farmer, Narasimha, from Gajwel constituency, who committed suicide, explained how the government officials forcibly took away their land that allegedly drove him to suicide. Similarly, family members of Rajababu of Mallaram in Bhupalpally district, claimed that some TRS leaders were behind his brutal murder.
The TPCC chief also spoke to the father of a 13-year-old Dalit girl who was set ablaze after she resisted a rape attempt. “A total of eight Dalit families who had faced atrocities like attempt to rape, murder, abetment to suicide, grabbing of land or houses, shared their grievances. And we heard them,” Mr. Reddy said.
‘Discriminations galore’
He alleged that Dalits were being subjected to discrimination, torture and other kind of atrocities. He also accused the TRS government of taking away the land of poor Dalits forcibly. Poor Dalits girls are being raped and the government was not taking any action to stop such incidents, he charged.
The TPCC chief promised that the Congress would fight to get justice for them. AICC secretary A. Sampath Kumar, TPCC vice-president and ex-MP Dr. Mallu Ravi and other leaders were also present.
He reminded that KCR had promised to make a Dalit CM if voted to power but ignored the promise after coming to power in 2014. He did not even induct a single Dalit minister then but had inducted several ministers from his own community into his cabinet and other top positions in the government.