Hans News Service Hyderabad

ChoppadandiMLA Medipalli Satyam said he had lodged a complaint over the alleged purification of a road at Erravalli following a protest by Dalit groups, describing the incident as an inhumane act and an instance of caste discrimination.

Satyam alleged that Dalits had staged a democratic protest at Erravalli by playing dappus (traditional drums), following which BRS workers, allegedly acting on the directions of former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), sprinkled turmeric water on the road on the grounds that it had been “polluted” by the presence of Dalits. He said media reports had also highlighted the incident and alleged that the act amounted to an insult to lakhs of Dalits.

Satyam also condemned the alleged use of objectionable language against Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar by BRS leaders.

“Purifying the land merely because Dalits had walked on it amounts to a crime,” he said. He added that he had lodged a complaint against those allegedly involved and demanded that the police register a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Meanwhile, Senior Congress leader and Madiga-Mala Associations JAC Chairman Devani Satish Madiga said he had filed an SC/ST Atrocities complaint against KCR and BRS workers over the alleged incident.

He alleged that BRS workers sprinkled turmeric water on the road leading to KCR’s farmhouse after members of the Madiga and Mala communities took out a dappu procession from Varadaraja Palli village to the farmhouse.

A Zero FIR has reportedly been registered at Saifabad Police Station against KCR and BRS workers, he said.

Satish Madiga also announced plans to conduct a milk purification ceremony at the 125-foot Ambedkar statue, stating that the ritual was proposed because former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) had touched the statue.

He appealed to the government to provide a mega crane to facilitate the ceremony, which he said would be performed by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.

He said the proposed programme was intended to condemn caste discrimination and assert the dignity and equality of Dalit communities.