E-Paper
Four of family booked for allegedly abusing Dalit MLA at Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Amaravati
Vundavalli Sridevi alleged that four men used foul language and told her that should not touch the Ganesha idol as it would be desecrated.
Police in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur district on Tuesday booked four members of a family for allegedly abusing a Dalit woman MLA of the ruling YSR Congress party at the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi festival in the state capital region of Amaravati.
Vundavalli Sridevi, lawmaker from Tadikonda assembly constituency, lodged a complaint with Thullur police station, besides Guntur district superintendent of police and director general of police (DGP) Gautam Sawang, alleging that some men belonging upper caste abused her in foul language as she was entering the Ganesh pandal at Annavaram village in Amaravati Monday night.
“They used foul language stating that I should not touch the Ganesha idol as it would be desecrated. This happened as I was entering the pandal while the priest was performing the puja,” she alleged.
Stating that the accused belonged to the Telugu Desam Party, Sridevi told reporters at the party office that it was unfortunate that there was caste discrimination in the capital region itself.
The YSRC MLA accused the TDP leaders of targeting her only because she had exposed irregularities in the capital construction. “In the past, their leader Chandrababu Naidu insulted Dalits and now his party workers are following his attitude,” she alleged.
She demanded that even Chandrababu Naidu should be arrested, as he had encouraged his party leaders to abuse her. She also accused Naidu of showing discrimination against Dalit farmers who had given lands for the capital.
Senior TDP leader and MLC Dokka Manikya Varaprasad described it as unfortunate. He condemned the incident and said abusing a Dalit MLA was unpardonable. He demanded that the police take stern actions against the accused, irrespective of their party affiliations.
Thulluru deputy superintendent of police Y Srinivas Reddy said a case was registered against four persons -- Kommineni Sivaiah, Kommineni Sai, Kommineni Ramakrishna and Kommineni Bujji under various sections of the SC, ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act along with sections 509 (insulting the modesty of a woman) and 294 (indecent behaviour) of the Indian Penal Code.
Andhra Pradesh Women’s Commission chairperson Vasireddy Padma spoke to DGP and asked him to deal sternly with those who insulted the dalit legislator.
