Hyderabad: TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Monday, in an open letter to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, alleged that atrocities on Dalits and tribals were on rise during the TRS’ three-and-a-half year rule.
Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy wrote the letter after visiting a hospital in Secunderabad to meet the two Dalit youth who had attempted suicide in Manakondur constituency of Karimnagar district on Sunday.
He was accompanied by Leaders of Opposition K. Jana Reddy (Assembly) and Shabbir Ali (Council), former PCC presidents V. Hanumantha Rao and Ponnala Lakshmaiah and other leaders,
The TPCC chief wrote that the incident highlighted the rising discontent among the people, especially Dalits and Girijans, against the TRS government’s failure to fulfil electoral promises.
Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy gave a factsheet to show that TS has emerged as an ‘anti-Dalit and anti-Girijan state” under the TRS regime. Quoting information procured through an RTI query, he said that from June 2014 to December 2016, 1,592 cases had been registered under the SC, ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act across the state.
He said 503 Dalits and Girijan women were raped while 120 people belonging to the SC and ST communities were murdered. Up to December 2016, a total of 5,210 SCs and STs fell victim to crimes. He said the situation was alarming and required immediate action.
Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that of the more than 3,500 farmers who committed suicide in the last three years, a majority belonged to the SC or ST communities. He said Dalits had fallen victim to the brutality of police, which was acting like a TRS frontal organisation.
He listed out over a dozen cases where SCs and STs were allegedly subjected to atrocities and no action was taken by the government.
