Chandrababu Naidu decries YSRCP attack on Dalits

Amaravati: TDP national president N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday slammed the ruling YSRCP leaders for 'launching attacks' on the SCs in the capital city area just because they came forward to contest in the panchayat elections.

He asked whether the ruling party would not like to see the Dalits rise to higher positions in politics. The Chief Minister and his party leaders should realise the fact that the vibrant democracy in the country gave rights to every citizen to freely contest in the elections, he said.

In a statement here, the TDP chief condemned the pelting of stones on the Dalits at Lingapuram village in Pedakurapadu Assembly constituency. The ruling party leaders resorted to this attack as the SCs put up a candidate who filed his nomination papers to take on the ruling party candidate. This attack in the midst of the election process would remain a stain for the democratic functioning of the state.

Naidu alleged that the Jagan Mohan Reddy regime has sent thugs to create chaos in the villages. They were not only threatening and striking terror among the people but also insulting the women. Though the complaints were made against the YSRCP leaders for abusing the SCs in the name of caste and attacking them with stones, the police were not taking any action deliberately, he added.

The former chief minster asserted that Jagan would go down as a betrayer of Dalits because of his government's unchecked atrocities against the weaker sections. Goondas were going to the houses of Dalits and threatening them.

The panchayat elections were not being held in a free and fair manner. Anti-socials were disrupting the process at every stage. But, the YCP leaders were shamelessly claiming that they have got people's support.