BRS alleges discrimination against SC sarpanch for opposing illegal sand mining

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi has accused the Congress government in Telangana of discriminating against Scheduled Caste representatives, citing the case of Kashamma, sarpanch of Jajala village, who has opposed alleged illegal sand mining in Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s home mandal.

Hyderabad: The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has alleged that Scheduled Caste (SC) public representatives were being discriminated against and humiliated in the Revanth Reddy government for opposing illegal sand mining.

BRS State General Secretary RS Praveen Kumar on Saturday came to the support of Kashamma, sarpanch of Jajala village in Vangur mandal, which falls in Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s home mandal. Kashamma has been opposing alleged illegal sand mining in the region. As a result, she was being denied bill payments and was not receiving cooperation for village development, he alleged.

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Praveen Kumar accused Congress MLA from Achampet Chikkudu Vamshi Krishna of mentally harassing the woman sarpanch by refusing to clear her bills. He also condemned the alleged remarks made by the MLA, claiming that he had threatened to “skin alive” an SC sarpanch.

Kashamma was fighting to bring water to her village and demanding a halt to the sand trade, Praveen Kumar said. He alleged that she had obstructed sand mining operations by the Chief Minister’s associates on the outskirts of Jajala, Ulpara and Pothareddypalli villages in Vangur mandal, following which her bills were not being cleared.

The BRS leader visited the sand reaches in the Dundubi stream. BRS leaders alleged that excavators were being used in the stream in violation of regulations and that sand was being stockpiled. They also alleged that sand trade was continuing without waybills. “The sand-laden lorries operate day and night right in front of the Chief Minister’s residence in Kondareddypalli, yet no official takes any action,” Praveen Kumar said.

The BRS General Secretary also alleged that MLC Balmoori Venkat was harassing NSUI State president Venkata Swamy, who belongs to the Dalit community.

He further alleged that while the Revanth Reddy government had promised to make women millionaires, a woman entrepreneur, Sobha Reddy, was being harassed and pressured to visit a guest house after she sought a contract.

“Why is Revanth Reddy, who keeps referring to the Speaker by his Dalit identity, not calling on Kashamma, a Dalit woman representative?” Praveen Kumar asked.

The BRS leader also alleged that a committee constituted under GO 134 to investigate land issues was intended to harass BRS leaders for questioning the State government. “If the Congress government is transparent, a probe should be conducted into the land holdings of Revanth Reddy, Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy and other Congress leaders under GO 134,” Praveen Kumar demanded.