Dalit MLAs Fume At Bandi Sanjay's Derogatory Remarks

Hyderabad: TRS Dalit leaders strongly criticized BJP State president Bandi Sanjay Kumar for his derogatory remarks against Dalits and said that people would teach him and his party a fitting lesson if they fail to mend their ways.

Ruling party MLAs belonging to the Dalit community have shot off an open letter to State BJP president Bandi Sanjay accusing him of demeaning Dalits by commenting on their ancestors’ profession of shoemaking.

TRS MLAs have strongly condemned Bandi Sanjay's alleged comments at Dalit people. In an open letter addressed to Sanjay on Sunday, the MLA's, Guvvala Balraj, G Kishore, R Balakrishan, Kranthi Kiran, K Yadaiah, A Ramesh, Balka Suman, MLC MS Prabhakar, and others, came down heavily on him.

The MLAs alleged that Mr. Sanjay continued to hold the age-old view of demeaning Dalits and claimed that it reflected the mindset of the BJP. “He represents a party that wants to ensure Dalits remain at the lower level of the society and not progress in the modern age,” the MLAs argued in the letter.

TRS MLAs have questioned Bandi Sanjay for allegedly demeaning the Dalit castes and their professions in the letter. The TRS legislators alleged that the BJP State president described Dalits as cobblers and persons associated with few other works.

Mr. Sanjay, while participating in Santh Ravi Das's birthday celebrations recently, had reportedly said that Dalits were not only good at making shoes but also have the power to insert nails to harm the politicians taking them for a ride.

“The remarks made by Sanjay reflected his party’s anarchic ideologies. He has already been stamped in the society as a person, who speaks headless words,” said Balraj, who is also Government Whip.

Sanjay’s comments have once again proved that BJP policies were antiquated and mirror the untouchability and oppression suffered by Dalits for ages, the leaders lambasted.

The MLA's have brought to the notice of Bandi Sanjay, stating that CM KCR has established Gurukul schools for the upbringing of the Dalit students. They reminded him that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao was committed to the development of Dalits.

After Telangana became reality, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao aspired that Dalit children should pursue higher education and make a mark in different fields.

Accordingly, many Gurukul schools were established across the State. Students pursuing studies in those schools were excelling along with their counterparts and were bagging seats under open categories, they pointed out.

Apart from securing ranks in IIT, IIM, NIT, medical examinations, students were bagging gold medals in leading universities in the country. The TRS Government was spending Rs.1.20 lakh per student a year in Gurukul schools. Apart from academics, Fine Arts Academy, Coding Academy, Sainik Schools, Business Schools were set up in Gurukul Educational Institutions, the TRS leaders informed.

But, all this good work was not being noticed by the BJP and its State president was spewing venom over the State Government, the TRS leaders said.