Watch: Congress-backed sarpanch resorts to bulldozer action, demolishes Dalit’s house in Sangareddy’s Kohir

A Dalit family’s under-construction house was allegedly demolished in Sangareddy hours after a Congress-backed sarpanch assumed office, triggering political outrage. Former Minister T Harish Rao accused the ruling party of vendetta politics and demanded action under the SC/ST Act

Sangareddy: Hours after the Congress-supported sarpanch’s swearing-in ceremony was completed, the Sarpanch Padmavathi and her son Prasad Reddy allegedly forced the gram panchayat to pass a resolution to demolish an under construction house of Dalit family, citing that the house was coming in the way of Palle Prakurthi Vanam at Sajjapur in Kohir mandal on Monday.

The victim Begari Ramulu, and his wife Eswaramma undertook the construction of a house some days ago on a site that was given by the government to the family a long ago. As Ramulu reportedly refused to participate in the election campaign supporting Congress, Padmavathi and her family members reportedly developed a grudge on Ramulu’s family.

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The panchayat passed a resolution immediately after the swearing-in ceremony, approving the demolition of the under-construction site. Though Ramulu and his family members pleaded falling at the feet of Congress leaders and officers, the sarpanch’s son Prasad Reddy, and officials carried out the demolition, employing a JCB while the police provided the security.

The victims met Former Minister T Harish Rao at his Hyderabad residence seeking his help on Tuesday. Assuring all the support to the Dalit family, Rao said the incident was a reflection of the prevailing ‘gunda raj’ in Congress rule in the State.

Presenting Rs 1 lakh to the family as an immediate relief on behalf of BRS, Rao demanded that police file an SC, ST atrocity case against the sarpanch, her family and officials responsible for the demolition besides building a house to the poor family at government’s expense. He also demanded compensation for the family.

Accusing the police of acting irresponsibly, the former Minister said the police have become puppets in the hands of Congress. He said that the Kohir SI refused to act even though the victims had called him, seeking help. Holding Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for such incidents, Rao said that Revanth was encouraging his cadre to attack the opposition party leaders and cadres while the police and officials were supporting them.

He said that people will certainly teach a fitting lesson to the Congress party in the coming days. Zaheerabad MLA K Manik Rao and others were present.