Kancha Ilaiah Blames Amit Shah For Reaction By Arya Vysyas On His Book

Hyderabad: Dalit writer and social scientist Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd on Sunday made yet another sensational statement saying that Arya Vysya representatives are the puppets groomed by BJP national president Amit Shah. Ilaiah challenged Amit Shah to come to Hyderabad and invite him for a debate on the issue. "I would question Amit Shah on the injustice that was meted out to nation by Arya Vysyas," he said.

Speaking to media persons here on Sunday, Kancha Ilaiah said that Arya Vysya leaders are acting at the behest of Amit Shah.

His controversial 18-page booklet on Arya Vysya community that he had released last month with a title "Samajika Smugglerlu – Komatollu (Social Smugglers – Vysyas) by Boomi Publications, sparked protest across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Ilaiah also received death threats from political leaders and Arya Vysya leaders.

After a few leaders of Vysya community made a vain bid to attack him in Parakal, Warangal district when Ilaiah was returning from a meeting, the Dalit writer has declared self-imposed house arrest at his residence in Hyderabad last week. The community demanded that the booklet be banned in the two Telugu-speaking states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Meanwhile, furious over Ilaiah's stand on the book, Arya Vysya leader Uppala Srinivas Gupta openly threatened to come to his house in Hyderabad. Reacting to the threats, Ilaiah said the people, who supported him, are ready to give a reply to Srinivas Gupta.

He also said that the State would be held responsible if he gets killed by mob or people belonging to Arya Vysya community. Ilaiah is currently working as Director of Center for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy at Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) in Hyderabad.