Harish Rao slams Congress over SC/ST promises

Metro India News | Hyderabad

Harish Rao on Tuesday accused the Congress government of deceiving SC and ST communities by failing to implement promises made in the Chevella Declaration. Speaking at a “Lambadi Rights Protection Committee” dharna at Indira Park, he described the protest as a fight for the self-respect of Lambadi and tribal communities.

Harish Rao recalled that before Telangana’s formation, agitations led by LHPS under the slogan “Hamara Tanda Mein Hamara Raj” were ignored by successive Congress governments headed by YSR, Rosaiah and Kiran Kumar Reddy. He said the BRS government under former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao converted 3,146 tandas into gram panchayats, politically empowering tribal communities.

The former minister alleged that despite election promises, the Congress government failed to implement even a single assurance from the SC/ST and Chevella declarations. He condemned the arrests of Lambadi women and youth protesting land acquisition and claimed even pregnant women were targeted during police action. According to him, 45 Lambadi youth were jailed for resisting forcible land acquisition.

Harish Rao alleged that instead of distributing podu land titles, the government grabbed nearly 50,000 acres of SC and ST land for industries and corporate projects. He warned that Lambadis in Kodangal would politically defeat Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy over tribal land issues.

He further alleged that Congress failed to deliver welfare promises, including student financial aid, new ITDAs, contract reservations and filling backlog posts. Questioning the promise of two lakh government jobs, he said the government itself admitted in the Assembly that only around 16,000 jobs had been provided.

“The government grabbed nearly 50,000 acres of SC and ST land for industries and corporate projects.” 

Harish Rao Former Minister and BRS deputy floor leader