HASNAPUR (ADILABAD): Police lobbed tear gas shells to separate Adivasi and Lambada groups that attacked each other on Friday following the desecration of a statue of Adivasi hero Kumaram Bheem on Thursday night.
Adivasis in large numbers staged pro-test rallies at Bethalguda in Narnoor mandal where unidentified persons desecrated the statue of the Adivasi icon by garlanding it with slippers on Thursday night.
The Adivasis, mainly youth, were proceeding towards Utnoor where they intended to stage a protest in front of the office of the Integrated Tribal Development Agency regarding the issue.
Lambada youth carrying lathis obstructed the Adivasis’ vehicles at Hasnapur village, beat up some of the Adivasis and ran away.
The Adivasis retaliated by attacking Lambada shops and smashed vehicles parked in front of houses in Hasnapur. Residents stayed inside their homes to escape the violence.
There was a large deployment of police at Hasnapur to contain the violence. Superin-tendent of police M. Srinivas monitored the situation and appealed to the Adivasis to stop the attacks. Police lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the Adivasi crowd. Some of the Adivasis, including women, were rendered unconscious by the gas. Adivasis asked the SP why the police had not stopped the Lambada youth from attacking them.
The police prevailed and the violence abated. Mr Srinivas assured the crowd that he would arrest the Lambadas who had attacked the Adivasis.
A second attack was launched by Adivasi community members against shops and houses owned by Lam-badas at Utnoor crossroads. They attacked the TRS leader Ramesh Rathod’s Sevalal Maharaj Hospital in the town and torched vehicles parked in front of the hospital. Police again had to resort to tear gas to disperse the violent mob.
