State, Centre violating dalit rights: Cong

Warangal: The district Congress leaders have accused the State and Central governments for violating the rights of dalit community.The party leaders have staged protests at different places in Warangal and other parts in erstwhile Warangal district on Monday, following a nation-wide call given by AICC president Rahul Gandhi to stage protests on the issue.
   
A large number of party workers and leaders, led by the district Congress president Naini Rajender Reddy, staged a day long hunger strike at Ekasila Park in Hanamkonda.  Speaking on the occasion, he said NDA government led by BJP at the Centre and the TRS government in Telangana were both pushing the dalits to corner. BJP has become the main reason attacks on dalits in the country.

In Telangana, dalits and tribals were taken for granted by the government and it made their lives miserable. Dalits who protested against illegal sand mafia were put in jail in Karimnagar and the community farmers in Khammam were handcuffed for seeking MSP, he complained.   

Referring to the Supreme Court judgment on SC/ST (PoA) Act he said the court’s judgment came in the wake of the Centre’s report on misuse of the act. On other hand, the Centre also failed to file a review petition in proper manner and was admonished by the court, he explained.

At a similar protest at Warangal chowrastha, city Congress working president Rajanala Srihari stated that the dalits across the country were against the BJP government for its efforts to dilute the SC/ST Act by going to Supreme Court.

The BJP government suspended the Parliament session when nearly 100 MPs questioned the government on the issue. Even the BJP MPs have objected its action and it shows indifferent attitude of the party bosses towards dalits, Srihari noted.

BJP has played a role of a villain in the case of Supreme Court judgment on SC/ST Act. The Centre must immediately take remedial measures and tender apology to dalit MPs for violating their right to express dissent by suspending Parliament session, he demanded. Since it came to power BJP was adopting anti-dalit policies, Srihari said.  

City Congress president K Srinivas Rao, former minister G Vijayarama Rao, TPCC secretary N Srinivas, SC Cell chairman P Vijay, former MLAs, K Sridhar, Seetakka, V Narender Reddy, leaders Manda Vinod, Kurathota Sadanandam and others took part in the protests.