Mild tension in Telangana''s Kamareddy over removal of banners on Ambedkar Jayanti

Mild tension prevailed in the Kamareddy district of Telangana on Monday over the removal of banners put up by the BRS near the statue of Babasaheb Ambedkar on the occasion of his birth anniversary, police said.

The Panchayat secretary was removing the banners in a village in the Lingampet mandal and BRS members objected to it and an argument broke out between them, police said.

The BRS workers then staged a road blockade and were arrested.

While being taken into custody, a former local body representative resisted police attempts and in the process his trousers got torn and came off, police said.

A video of the man being lifted and taken away by police in a vehicle circulated on social media platforms.

Alleging that the police stripped and dragged a Dalit man, over 200 people gathered and held a protest. The man, who was in preventive custody was subsequently released by police after the protesters demanded his release.

Police denied the allegations and said it happened during the process of clearing the protesters from blocking the road and it was not intentional as alleged.

Police subsequently registered a case against those obstructing the Panchayat secretary from performing his duty. The protesters also approached the police and filed a counter-complaint accusing the police of behaving harshly against them. Further investigation is on.

The incident drew sharp criticism from BRS.

BRS Working President K T Rama Rao in a post on 'X' alleged "Just Another Day in Mohabbat Ka Dukaan! A Dalit man was stripped and arrested right under Babasaheb’s shadow on his birth anniversary in Congress ruled Telangana! I demand to know how is tying a banner for Ambedkar Jayanthi a crime so heinous that this kind of brutality had to be meted out? Dear @rahulgandhi, how many more pages will Revanth Reddy’s government be allowed to tear apart from the constitution?"

Rama Rao demanded immediate and severe action on every police official involved in the incident.

BRS MLC K Kavitha also condemned the incident.

Kavitha in a post on 'X' alleged "Dalits in Lingampet Mandal, Kamareddy were stripped, humiliated, and arrested by the police, for what? Putting up banners for Ambedkar Jayanti? The police acted like unruly mobs, not public servants. What kind of police feel bold enough to do something like this, unless they know they’re protected from above?".

She demanded immediate suspension of the officers involved.