Dalit MLAs and Ministers humiliated after being stopped by security in Assembly premises

Two separate incidents in the Telangana Assembly premises saw Dalit MLAs and ministers stopped by security personnel on Monday. Health Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha objected strongly when ministers were prevented from entering a route leading to the Legislative Council building

Hyderabad: A couple of Dalit MLAs, a Dalit minister and an ST minister faced humiliating moments in two separate incidents when security personnel stopped them in the Assembly premises for different reasons on Monday.

According to reports, Dalit MLAs Tungaturthy MLA Mandula Samuel and Manakondur MLA Kavvampally Satyanarayana were denied permission to enter Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka’s chambers in the morning. Later in the afternoon, Health Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha, Panchayat Raj Minister D Anasuya, Government Whip Beerla Ilaiah and a few other Congress MLAs were stopped from proceeding towards the newly inaugurated Legislative Council building, with security claiming that it was reserved for Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.

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The ministers, along with a few other Congress MLAs, were heading to the Council to attend the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting around 3 pm. However, as they reached the entrance of the new Council building, security personnel deployed at the entrance prevented them from entering, stating that it was the Chief Minister’s route and asking the ministers and MLAs to take another route.

Irked over the development, Damodar Rajanarasimha raised strong objections to the conduct of the security personnel. “How can you stop ministers from moving in the Assembly premises? Do you know the rules? This cannot be tolerated,” Rajanarasimha reportedly shouted at the security.

Sticking to his ground and fuming at the security, the Health Minister, along with Panchayat Raj Minister D Anasuya, Government Whip Beerla Ilaiah and Ramchander Naik, proceeded to the Council through the same entrance.

Earlier in the day, before Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla’s joint address in the Assembly, Dalit MLAs Mandula Samuel and Kavvampally Satyanarayana went to Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka’s chambers. However, security personnel stopped them from entering the chambers, stating that there were visitors inside. After waiting for a long time and vexed with the security personnel’s attitude, the two MLAs reportedly left the chambers without meeting the Deputy Chief Minister.