Hyderabad: TRS ex-MLA Veeresham stripped of security cover

Hyderabad: At a time when Dalit politics have taken a center stage, the government's decision to withdraw gunmen to a former MLA Vemula Veeresham has raised eyebrows in the party.

Veeresham has been with the party since the separate Telangana agitation days and was MLA from Nakrekal during the first term of TRS government in 2014.

However, during the 2018 Assembly elections, the situation in the constituency changed after Congress candidate Ch Lingaiah defeated Veeresham. Later, Lingaiah joined the ruling party. This led to his supremacy in the constituency.

The government recently launched the Dalit Bandhu scheme and has been stressing that the party was for uplift of the downtrodden sections. The party leaders rued that while other ex-MLAs and MLCs continued to have gunmen, those of Nakrekal ex-MLA were taken away.

The leaders point out that Munugode ex-MLA Prabhakar Reddy was still having security, as also ex-MLC and former Council chairman G Sukhender Reddy. Veeresham takes up several social activities in the constituency and always mingles with people attending several events.

According to sources, threat perception was low hence the gunmen were removed. Party leaders believe that the local leaders in the district must be behind removal of the security.

They said that after Ch Lingaiah joined the party, there was a gap between the party and Veeresham. It is also learnt that he was looking to join other parties like the Congress and BSP.

However, he has not taken any decision on future course of action, but this has led to discussions in the party.