UP: Stampede among the baraatis as soon as stone pelting happened, saved their lives by hiding in the fields; uproar over stopping the marriage procession of a Scheduled Caste youth
There was a lot of uproar and stone pelting when a Dalit’s marriage procession was stopped in Etah. There was chaos here after the stone pelting. A constable was injured in this. The marriage procession came to village Dhakpura of Awagarh police station area on the night of 21 June. SSP and SDM also reached the spot. People created a ruckus in village Dhakpura alleging that a Dalit’s marriage procession was stopped in Etah. A constable was seriously injured in this, who has been referred to Agra from PHC. In this case, the police have registered a report against 50 unknown people including 15 named ones. Village resident Late Prem Babu’s daughter Aarti’s marriage was fixed with Vikas Kumar, resident of Rudayan of Hathras district. The marriage procession came on the night of 21 June. It is alleged that the people of Kshatriya community stopped the marriage procession from going on a road. There was an uproar over this. On getting the information, Awagarh police station reached and seeing the ruckus, police from nearby police stations were also called. Police was explaining to the people of both the sides and consensus was also being made. Meanwhile, some people again created ruckus and pelted stones. Constable injured A stone hit the head of a constable posted in Sakrauli police station, due to which he was bleeding. He was brought to PHC Awagarh. From here he was referred to Agra. After this, SSP Shyam Narayan Singh, ASP Rajkumar Singh, SDM Jaleshwar Bhavana Vimal, CO Gyanendra Pratap Singh, Tehsildar Neeraj Varshney reached the spot. People of both the sides were explained and after getting the baraat to pass, all the rituals of marriage were also performed in their presence. An application was already given to DIG Some pre-planned things are also coming to the fore regarding the matter. A woman had already given an application to DIG. It was written in it that people of Thakur community will not allow the baraat of a youth of SC community to go out. People from all communities had helped in the marriage. The girl’s father had passed away earlier and the financial condition of the family is also not very good. According to the villagers, people from all communities had helped in this marriage. Then why did the ruckus happen, questions are also being raised on this. BSP officials made allegations The BSP delegation reached the village on Sunday. They took information about the whole matter from the people of the Dalit community. Aligarh division in-charge Raju Ramratan alleged that people from the other side threw stones from the roofs. Due to this a policeman got injured but the police took action against the people of the Dalit community. Many people were beaten, people were dragged out of their homes and taken to the police station. People from the Dalit community reached the police station on Sunday and gave a complaint, which was not taken. BSP district president Dharmendra Soni, district in-charge Vijay Singh, Rajiv Singh, Niranjan Singh, Rajesh Diwakar were part of the delegation. As soon as the stone pelting started, the baraatis ran away to save their lives. There was a stampede among the baraatis after the stone pelting and uproar over stopping the procession from Rudayal to village Dhakpura in Etah. The baraatis ran away from there at night and returned to the village through the fields. On hearing about the fight in the baraat in the village, the women of the groom’s side started crying. The groom’s mother fell ill on Saturday night itself, she has been admitted to the hospital. On Sunday morning, the groom’s sister-in-law also fell ill. The marriage of Nahar Singh’s son Vikas, a resident of village Rudayal, was fixed in the said village of Etah, the baraat went on Saturday evening. After the welcome and breakfast, preparations were going on for the procession to go in the night. The baraatis told that at that time some people stopped the ritual of baraat from being performed. Due to this, there was an altercation and a fight from both sides. The baraatis ran away from there and saved their lives. They reached their village hiding in the fields. When they reached the village and told the whole story, the groom’s mother fell ill. The bride was sent off at around 12 o’clock at night with five baraatis. The groom’s father says that other post-wedding functions are also to be held in the same village, so he is worried. He has informed the police about his dilemma and has asked for help. There are two routes in the village, the baraatis insisted on going through the other route. The baraat was moved forward from there in the presence of the police. Meanwhile, a voice was heard. A constable has been injured. All the marriage rituals were performed peacefully under the protection of the police-administration. The condition of the injured constable is out of danger. – Shyam Narayan Singh, SSP Published by: Shahrukh Khan Courtesy : Hindi News
‘You’re not fit to fly an aircraft, go back and stitch slippers’: IndiGo Dalit trainee pilot ‘harassed’ by seniors
Police filed FIR against IndiGo officials Tapas Dey, Manish Sahni and Captain Rahul Patil under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. A trainee pilot with IndiGo has accused three senior officials of insulting him by saying that he was “not fit to fly a plane” and “must stitch shoes.” The 35-year-old trainee pilot, who is a Dalit, has lodged a police complaint. Following this, the police filed an FIR against IndiGo officials Tapas Dey, Manish Sahni and Captain Rahul Patil under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, reports NDTV. According to the report, the complainant first approached the police in Bengaluru. The cops there registered a zero FIR — an FIR that can be filed in any police station irrespective of where the crime took place. This FIR has now been sent to Gurugram, where IndiGo is headquartered. In his complaint, the complainant referred to a meeting on April 28 at Indigo’s Gurugram office. He alleged that during the 30-minute meeting, he was told, “You are not fit to fly an aircraft, go back and stitch slippers. You are not even worthy of being a watchman here.” The trainee pilot has said the harassment was aimed at forcing him to resign. He has said the derogatory remarks were aimed at degrading his identity as a Scheduled Caste person. He has also alleged that he had suffered “professional victimisation” through unjustified salary cuts, forced retraining sessions and unwarranted warning letters. He said he had raised the matter with higher officials and IndiGo’s ethics panel, but no action followed. Eventually, he was forced to file a police complaint. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Thakurs stone Dalit wedding party over route in an Uttar Pradesh village, four injured
Thakurs had objected to the route taken by the groom’s party on its way to the Dalit bride’s home in village Dhakpur in Etah district, says senior superintendent of police Shyam Narayan Singh Thakurs stoned a Dalit groom’s procession in an Uttar Pradesh village on Saturday night, leaving a police constable and three baraatis injured, police sources said. The Thakurs had objected to the route taken by the groom’s party on its way to the Dalit bride’s home in village Dhakpur in Etah district, senior superintendent of police Shyam Narayan Singh said on Sunday morning. “The marriage was solemnised in the presence of the police and the bride left for the groom’s home in a peaceful atmosphere,” Singh said. A relative of the bride said on the condition of anonymity that the family would not lodge a police complaint. “The Thakurs had declared two days ago that they wouldn’t let the baraat pass through their hamlet,” he said. “We gave a written application to the police and they deployed cops on the route, which was shorter than the one the Thakurs wanted us to take.” The Thakurs blocked the procession and the stoning began in the presence of the police. Singh said: “Stone-throwing during a minor altercation between villagers from the two communities left constable Sunil Kumar injured. He has been admitted to hospital.” Another police source said three baraatis too suffered injuries. “Nobody should be allowed to block any road for any reason. The villagers are peace-loving. They listened to us and allowed the baraat to pass through its chosen route,” Singh said. He added: “The girl’s father died a few years ago, and so the entire village had pitched in for the marriage. However, we have deployed forces in the village to avert any backlash.” Dev Charan, a relative of the groom, said: “The police helped us complete the marriage rituals and we returned home (to another village in the district) without any ill-will against anybody.” A member of the Thakur community was quoted as telling local reporters: “They suddenly decided to follow a route that was not in their plans before. We don’t know who started pelting them with stones.” On April 17, some upper caste villagers of Chhalesar in Agra, 85km west of Etah, had attacked a Dalit groom for riding a horse and playing music on his way to the bride’s home. Piyush Srivastava Courtesy ; The Telegraph Note: This news is originally published on https:/thetelegraph.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Cong forms panel to probe two Dalit men’s murder in Chhatarpur
Bhopal: Congress state unit president Jitu Patwari on Sunday announced the formation of a four-member panel to probe the recent murders of two Scheduled Caste men in Chhatarpur district. In a statement, the party said a man from the SC community was shot dead by anti-social elements at Lav Kush Nagar on June 21, while his wife and daughter were abducted. Earlier, a resident of Naugaon was killed allegedly by a group of influential individuals. The committee comprises former minister Surendra Chaudhary, former MLA Narayan Prajapati, Kiran Ahirwar and Pradeep Khatik. It will look into the circumstances of the two incidents, and submit a report to the Pradesh Congress Committee, the statement added. In a separate post on ‘X’, Patwari said a woman and her two children were abducted from their home in Chhatarpur. The abductors arrived in a car, opened fire, and escaped with the three victims, he claimed. He further wrote that despite disconcerting figures of “atrocities against women, crimes against women are touching new heights” in the state and CM Mohan Yadav, who holds the home portfolio, has nothing to say on the “worsening law & order situation” in the state. Bhopal: Congress state unit president Jitu Patwari on Sunday announced the formation of a four-member panel to probe the recent murders of two Scheduled Caste men in Chhatarpur district. In a statement, the party said a man from the SC community was shot dead by anti-social elements at Lav Kush Nagar on June 21, while his wife and daughter were abducted. Earlier, a resident of Naugaon was killed allegedly by a group of influential individuals. The committee comprises former minister Surendra Chaudhary, former MLA Narayan Prajapati, Kiran Ahirwar and Pradeep Khatik. It will look into the circumstances of the two incidents, and submit a report to the Pradesh Congress Committee, the statement added. In a separate post on ‘X’, Patwari said a woman and her two children were abducted from their home in Chhatarpur. The abductors arrived in a car, opened fire, and escaped with the three victims, he claimed. He further wrote that despite disconcerting figures of “atrocities against women, crimes against women are touching new heights” in the state and CM Mohan Yadav, who holds the home portfolio, has nothing to say on the “worsening law & order situation” in the state. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Andhra Pradesh: 15-year-old Dalit girl sexually abused by 14 men for two years, now in hospital eight months pregnant..
The painful truth of a 15-year-old pregnant girl: Sexual abuse by 14 men, failure of the system In a district hospital in Andhra Pradesh, a 15-year-old girl, who is eight months pregnant, is spending her days in a 150-bed ward among other pregnant women and newborns. Officials have called it dangerous to terminate the pregnancy at this stage and have also considered it unsafe to send her back to her village. The girl, who was sexually abused by 14 men for two years, belongs to a Scheduled Caste (Madiga) community and her village is dominated by upper castes. The investigation, which began after the girl’s mother filed a police complaint in the first week of June, has exposed the very system that was created to protect such vulnerable girls. “Due to her young age, poverty and caste, she became an easy target for exploitation. Systems like school monitoring and community welfare checks failed completely,” said Superintendent of Police V. Ratna. The teen’s horrific experience began when she was 13 and studying in Class 8. After her father’s death, her mother, who was single, moved to a village near the Karnataka border. According to the police, one of the accused found the teen and her classmate, who was also from the Scheduled Caste, alone after school and clicked their photographs. Threatening to leak these photographs on social media, the two men forced her to sexually abuse them through physical violence and fear and also made a video of it. These videos and photographs were used by others to further exploit the teen. When the teen’s pregnancy was discovered, her mother approached the police. On June 9, the police arrested six of the accused and later detained 11 more. There are a total of 17 accused, of whom 14 allegedly sexually abused her for two years and three, including her minor classmate, did not inform the authorities. All have been arrested. The accused include three minors and 11 men aged between 18 and 51. They have been booked under the Indian Penal Code, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and the Information Technology Act. The police are also investigating why the teenager’s Class 10 teachers did not report her long absence. “In such a crucial academic year, her non-residentship should have been noticed,” said SP Ratna. Local welfare systems, such as Grama Mahila Sanrakshan Karyakarsh volunteers and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA), also failed to take note of the family’s situation even though it was known that the mother was suffering from depression and financial hardships after her husband’s death. Of the 17 accused, 14 are from the influential Boya community, while three, including the classmate, are from the Scheduled Caste. Officials say leaders of the Boya community tried to get the teenager married to her classmate to hush up the case. For safety reasons, the teenager will be kept in the hospital till her delivery, scheduled after July 21. “Sending her back to the village is risky,” an official said. After the delivery, the teenager and her baby will be shifted to a government women’s shelter. According to hospital sources, the teenager is anaemic and suffering from depression. She is being provided medical care and counselling. “As Dalits, she and her mother are vulnerable,” an official said, and stressed the need to ensure their safety during the investigation. Courtesy : Rajan Chaudhary, Hindi News
“SC hai? To neeche khada raho!” — Video of BJP MLA removing Dalit Sarpanch from stage goes viral, creates ruckus
A video went viral on social media, in which BJP MLA PV Parthasarathy is seen stopping a Dalit Sarpanch from coming on stage, public is deeply angry about the incident. Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh): A video from Adoni in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh has gone viral on social media, in which BJP MLA PV Parthasarathy is seen stopping a Dalit Sarpanch from coming on stage during a public program and allegedly insulting him. It is alleged that he did this after knowing the caste of the Sarpanch. This incident is said to have taken place on June 16, when the MLA was addressing a gathering in his constituency. In the video, Parthasarathy calls out to a Sarpanch standing in the crowd, “Hey Sarpanch, come here, why are you standing there?” When the Sarpanch hesitates to move forward, the MLA asks, “Are you Christian?” In response, a Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader standing near him says, “He is from the Scheduled Caste (SC), Sir.” The video then shows the BJP MLA and the TDP leader pointing to the ground in front of the stage and asking the sarpanch to stand there instead of coming on stage. The MLA says, “Okay, then stand here,” and the sarpanch stands there quietly. During this, the TDP leader is seen repeatedly covering her face from the camera, as if she is uncomfortable with the recording. After the video surfaced, there are sharp reactions on social media. Many users have called it a casteist insult in public. A user wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Who is more responsible – the casteist leader who insulted the Dalit Sarpanch, or the Sarpanch who remained silent, putting power above self-respect? This silence gives courage to those who insult Dalits, Muslims and marginalized people every day.” Another user wrote, “BJP MLA publicly says to Dalit Sarpanch – ‘Oh, SC hai?’ This is not a slip of tongue, this is the real face of caste supremacy.” So far, there has been no official response from either MLA Parthasarathy or the BJP on this entire matter. Courtesy : Rajan Chaudhary, Hindi News
Tamil Nadu BJP seeks probe after Dalit man found dead at Muslim girlfriend’s home
A Dalit man died by suicide at his girlfriend’s house in Kanyakumari district, following which the Tamil Nadu BJP questioned the investigation. The party cited her family’s links with ruling DMK and called for police neutrality in the probe. A man identified as Dhanush was found dead in Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari district after he allegedly died by suicide by hanging himself at the residence of a woman he had reportedly been in a relationship with. According to police sources, the incident took place on Sunday in Kulasekaram, and preliminary investigations indicate that his death followed the woman’s decision to cut off contact with him. Dhanush, who belonged to a Scheduled Caste (SC) community, was employed at an IT company in Coimbatore. The woman he was in a relationship with was from the Muslim community. Police have confirmed that no suicide note was recovered from the scene, and that his family has not made any direct accusations against anyone. The BJP has raised questions over the circumstances surrounding the death, pointing to the woman’s reported familial links with the ruling DMK. BJP state president Nainar Nagendran has both demanded a thorough and independent investigation into the case, alleging potential political interference. In a post on X, Nagendran stated, “Dhanush, a young man from a Hindu Scheduled Caste community who was about to marry a woman of a different religion in Kulasekaram, Kanyakumari district, has been found dead in a mysterious manner after hanging himself. That too, the fact that he hanged himself on the roof of the house of the woman he loved has created a lot of suspicion and anxiety.” He further claimed, “With reports that the woman’s close relatives are in the DMK, the question has arisen in everyone’s mind whether this case will be investigated properly.” Nagendran criticised the state government’s handling of caste-related violence and urged the Tamil Nadu Police to ensure a proper autopsy is conducted without any bias. “The police should not act unilaterally with the intention of supporting the ruling party’s rhetoric,” he wrote, adding that the BJP would continue to support Dhanush’s family in their demand for justice. Courtesy : India Today Note: This news is originally published on https:/indiatoday.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
BJP MLA faces charges of insulting Dalit panchayat president
Danapuram (Andhra Pradesh), June 20 (PTI) BJP MLA from Adoni Constituency in Andhra Pradesh, PV Parthasarathi, is facing charges of insulting a Dalit Panchayat president at Danapuram village in Kurnool district recently. The Panchayat president filed a police complaint. The alleged incident occurred during Parthasarathi’s visit to Dhanapuram on Monday where he was overseeing the Jal Jeevan Mission programme implementation at a temple premises. In a video that has gone viral, Parthasarathi was seen calling the president Chandrashekhar onto the rostrum in the temple premises, however as the president did not turn up, he called for him three-four times and then enquired that if the president was a Christian and hence hesitated to come onto the platform. Then a local woman TDP leader seen and heard in the video whispering to the MLA that the sarpanch belonged to a Schedule Caste (SC), later, the MLA acknowledged the whisper and gestured the sarpanch to stand on the ground in front of the elevated platform. The MLA’s action is being criticised as caste-based discrimination. As the video went viral and triggered a controversy, the BJP MLA responded saying that he asked only about the president’s religion because he “appeared reluctant to step onto the temple platform”. “I called him to join me. As he seemed hesitant, I asked if he was from a different religion. TDP leader responded, as seen in the video,” Parthasarathi told reporters. While denying discrimination, he acknowledged that the TDP leader mentioned his caste and apologised for that, taking full responsibility for what happened in his presence. Meanwhile, the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP condemned the MLA’s behaviour, accusing the ruling NDA coalition government of displaying “blatant caste discrimination”. “Why does your alliance have such disdain for SCs, Naidu?” questioned the YSRCP in a post on ‘X’. Similarly, the Human Rights Forum (HRF) condemned BJP MLA for failing to stop the public ‘humiliation’ of Dalit sarpanch during a Jal Jeevan Mission event. “TDP leader blocked the sarpanch, citing his caste,” it claimed, demanding to invoke the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 against both the BJP MLA and the TDP leader and warned of protests if authorities fail to respond. “Despite taking an oath under the Constitution to uphold equality, the BJP MLA’s silence in the face of discrimination is deeply troubling,” said the HRF in a press release. (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI) Courtesy : The Week Note: This news is originally published on https:/theweek.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
PM Modi slams RJD for ‘insulting’ Ambedkar says Bihar won’t tolerate disrespect to Dalit icon
Siwan (Bihar), (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday slammed the RJD for allegedly insulting Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar and asserted that the people of Bihar would not tolerate any disrespect to the Dalit icon. At a rally in Siwan district, which marked his fifth visit this year to the state and second in less than a month, Modi hailed the “big role” played by Bihar in India’s emergence as the “third largest economy” of the world. In a nearly 45-minute-long speech that followed the launch of projects worth more than Rs 5,900 crore and the flagging off of a Vande Bharat train, the Prime Minister cautioned the people against “attempts to recapture economic resources of Bihar” by the RJD-led opposition in the assembly polls due later this year. “Ambedkar was against dynasty rule. But they (RJD and its allies) do not like it. So they have his portrait placed at their feet. On my way, I saw posters demanding an apology for this insult to Babasaheb,” said Modi. He added, “But there has been no apology. This is because they hold Dalits in contempt. In contrast, Modi has Babasaheb in his heart and would like to keep his portrait close to his chest”. Modi, who did not mention RJD chief Lalu Prasad by name, referred to the instance of a portrait of Ambedkar being placed close to the feet of the ailing septuagenarian, for which he (Prasad) has been drawing flak from the BJP-led NDA. “The reason is that the RJD-Congress people have little respect for people belonging to the deprived castes, the Dalits, the OBCs and the EBCs. They consider themselves above Babasaheb Ambedkar. But they must remember that the disrespect to Babasaheb Ambedkar will not be forgiven by the people of Bihar,” the PM said. Modi also asserted that the world was greatly impressed with India’s progress and underscored Bihar’s big role in the country’s emergence as the world’s “third largest economy”. “You all know I have returned from abroad only yesterday. During my tour, I met many leaders of the developed world. They all were greatly impressed with the rate of progress in India. They are watching India becoming the third-largest economy in the world. In this, Bihar will definitely play a big role,” said the PM. In the last 11 years, the NDA government at the Centre has devoted itself to removing every hurdle that stands in the way of the poor, he said. “We will continue to make such efforts. The hard work has yielded handsome results,” the PM said. In the past decade, a record number of 25 crore Indians have defeated poverty, and this feat of India is being lauded by renowned institutions like the World Bank, he said. “In this national accomplishment, Bihar and the government headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar have played a significant role,” said Modi. The PM also said a “prosperous” Bihar will help the country prosper. Training his guns at the opposition INDIA bloc, he said, “Beware, those responsible for jungle raj are looking for another opportunity to wreak havoc like they had once done.” They are playing various tricks to ensure that they recapture the state’s economic resources, claimed Modi, in an apparent reference to several populist promises made by the RJD and its ally Congress in the run-up to the assembly polls. “Unlike the NDA, which worked for development of all with support of all (‘sabka saath sabka vikas’), the opposition stood for family rule (‘parivar ka saath, parivar ka vikas’), which was against the spirit of the Constitution, given to us by Babasaheb Ambedkar”, Modi claimed. “This is the reason why the Congress-RJD people have portraits of Babasaheb Ambedkar placed at their feet. In contrast, Modi keeps Babasaheb Ambedkar in his heart,” remarked the Prime Minister. Modi, who reached the venue perched atop an open vehicle, flanked on either side by Nitish Kumar, who heads the JD(U), and Deputy CMs Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, both from the BJP. The chief minister, whose speech preceded that of the PM, showered praises on Modi for ordering a caste census, which the JD(U) boss had been demanding for long, and called upon the audience to rise in their seats as a mark of gratitude. In keeping with his penchant for adding local flavour to his speeches, Modi began his address by greeting the people in the local dialect of Bhojpuri and paying tributes to the first President Rajendra Prasad, who hailed from Siwan, and legendary socialist leader Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan, who belonged to the adjoining district of Saran. The function saw the launch of projects worth more than Rs 5,900 crore by the PM, who also flagged off a Vande Bharat train that would run between Pataliputra Junction in the state capital and Gorakhpur in adjoining Uttar Pradesh. These development projects will take Bihar towards a bright future and make the state prosperous, said the PM. (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI) Courtesy : The Week Note: This news is originally published on https:/theweek.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Andhra Pradesh: BJP MLA accused of insulting Dalit sarpanch
Danapuram (Andhra Pradesh), June 20 (Language) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Adoni constituency of Andhra Pradesh PV Parthasarathy has been accused of insulting the Dalit Sarpanch of Danapuram village in Kurnool district. The Sarpanch has lodged a complaint with the police. Parthasarathy was on a tour to Danapuram on Monday and the alleged incident took place while overseeing the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission program at a temple complex here. A video circulated on social media shows Sarpanch Chandrashekhar being called to the stage by Parthasarathy in the temple complex. However, when he did not come, Parthasarathy called him three-four times and then asked if he was a Christian and therefore hesitant to come on stage. The video then shows the local woman leader of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) whispering in the MLA’s ear that the sarpanch belongs to the Scheduled Caste (SC), after which the MLA gestured to the sarpanch and asked him to stand on the ground in front of the stage. The MLA’s act is being criticised as caste-based discrimination. On the controversy that erupted after the video surfaced, the MLA said he had only asked about the chairman’s religion as he “seemed reluctant to step on the temple platform”. “I called him to stand with me. He was hesitant, so I asked if he belonged to another religion…,” Parthasarathy told reporters. Meanwhile, the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led Yuvajana Sramika Raithu Congress Party (YSRCP) condemned the MLA’s behaviour and accused the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government of “blatant caste discrimination”. “Naidu, why is there so much hatred towards Scheduled Castes in your alliance?” the YSRCP questioned in a post on social media platform ‘X’. Similarly, the Human Rights Forum (HRF) condemned the BJP MLA for failing to prevent the public “humiliation” of a Dalit sarpanch during a Jal Jeevan Mission programme. It claimed, “The TDP leader blocked the way of the sarpanch citing his caste.” The HRF demanded action against the BJP MLA and the TDP leader under the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and warned of protests if this was not done. Courtesy: Dheeraj, Hindi News