TDP Gen Secy Nara Lokesh accuses Andhra govt of attacks on Dalits

TDP National General Secretary and MLC Nara Lokesh on Saturday held chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy Government solely responsible for incidents of attacks and of tonsuring of people from the weaker sections in the state.

Nara Lokesh blamed the YSRCP regime for the latest incident of tonsure of a Dalit youth Srikanth at Pendurti near Visakhapatnam. "Had the Jagan Government taken stringent action in the East Godavari Dalit youth tonsure case, the present humiliation to Srikanth would not have occurred," said Lokesh.

The TDP MLC expressed concern that "there was no safety and security in the slightest possible measure for the downtrodden sections under this atrocious regime."

"How can anyone expect the protection of Dalit rights when weaker sections' youth were being tonsured and killed without any proper investigations?" Lokesh asked.

Lokesh said that "this Government should have given the strongest possible punishment when Vara Prasad was tonsured at Rajanagaram in East Godavari District. The victim could not get any justice and had to finally write a letter to the President. Even now, after so many days, Prasad was waiting for justice."

He alleged that the government played a spectator's role when the police had beaten up resulting in the death of another Dalit youth named Kiran Kumar in Chirala town. "Had proper action been taken in such incidents, the rising spate of atrocities on Dalits would have been stopped at that time itself," he said.

He further said, "YSRCP came to power by making countless promises to the Dalits in 2019 election campaign. The Chief Minister shook hands and took selfie photos with Dalits during his pre-election state-wide padayatra but now not at all coming out of his residence to solve their problems. No YSRCP leader was coming forward to espouse the cause of preventing atrocities on Dalit youth and farmers."

The TDP has been agitating for a judicial inquiry into "the unabated murders, rapes and atrocities taking place on Dalit youth and girls across the State."

( With inputs from ANI )