■    Congress, BRS trade charges against each other over insult and neglect of Dalits 

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

The Telangana Assembly turned into a battleground as the ruling Congress and opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) locked horns over remarks made by BRS MLA G Jagdish Reddy against Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar. The controversy erupted when Jagdish Reddy stated that the House belonged to all members and was not the Speaker’s personal domain. His statement triggered outrage from the Congress, which accused BRS of insulting the Speaker, a senior Dalit leader.

Ministers Seethakka, Uttam Kumar Reddy, Sridhar Babu, and Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka slammed the BRS, alleging that the party had a history of being anti-Dalit and anti-marginalized communities. They cited past incidents, such as denying Bhatti Vikramarka the status of Leader of Opposition in the past, disrespecting former Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, and calling the current Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, an ST leader, a Congress agent. In response, a motion was moved and adopted to suspend Jagdish Reddy for the remainder of the budget session.

We are the true champions of Dalit causes, says BRS

Reacting strongly to the suspension, senior BRS leaders, including KT Rama Rao and Harish Rao and other MLAs, staged a protest at the 125-feet BR Ambedkar statue near Tank Bund in the evening . They accused Congress of playing politics with Dalit card and claimed that BRS had always been at the forefront of Dalits welfare and rights.

Harish Rao pointed out that BRS had unanimously supported Gaddam Prasad Kumar’s nomination as Speaker and had taken major pro-Dalit initiatives, such as erecting the massive 125 feet tall Ambedkar statue, renaming the state secretariat after Ambedkar, and launching the Dalit Bandhu scheme. He also reminded that it was Congress leaders like Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary who had insulted President Droupadi Murmu, showing the party’s true colors regarding SC and ST leaders.

As the political slugfest continues, the Dalit card remains a potent tool in Telangana’s power dynamics, with both parties vying to claim the high ground in championing marginalized communities.