BRS questions Congress’s Dalit politics in Telangana Assembly

BRS leaders K Manik Rao and Methuku Anand accused the Congress government of exploiting the Dalit issue to deflect attention from public concerns and the suspension of BRS legislators. They alleged that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy misused police force against MLAs and politicised the Speaker’s Dalit identity.

Hyderabad: BRS MLA K Manik Rao and former MLA Methuku Anand accused the Congress government of using the Dalit issue to divert attention from public issues and the alleged manhandling of BRS legislators.

Speaking to mediapersons at Telangana Bhavan on Wednesday, Manik Rao asked whether Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar was the only Dalit in the Assembly. “Aren’t we Dalits and members of the Assembly?” he asked, accusing Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy of using the police force to prevent BRS MLAs from entering the Assembly and later having them wrongfully suspended.

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He questioned the justification for Congress leaders going to BRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao’s residence at Erravelli and wasting three days of Assembly proceedings.

Methuku Anand said the BRS respected the Speaker but alleged that Congress was repeatedly highlighting his Dalit identity for political gain. He questioned the Assembly discussion focusing on turmeric water and the cleansing ceremony, instead of public issues.

Former SC/ST Commission chairman Errolla Srinivas demanded a white paper on the Congress government’s initiatives for Dalits. He stated that Revanth Reddy was insulting Dalits by repeatedly referring to the Speaker as a Dalit.