Telangana CM slammed for making Dalit deputy sit on floor
A video showing Telangana's Dalit Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka sitting on the floor while other ministers sat on stools has triggered a political controversy. The video was captured on Monday, when all ministers, including Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, had gone to visit a temple in Nalgonda. The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) shared the video, slamming the ruling Congress for "insulting" Vikramarka. It tweeted, "CM Reddy and co brutally insulted...Vikramarka while on darshan (visit) of Yadadri temple."
First Dalit deputy CM in Telangana allegedly insulted
The video shows CM Reddy, ministers Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and Uttam Kumar Reddy seated on stools facing the deity while priests chanted mantras on a microphone. Sharing the video, the BRS party accused them of disrespecting Vikramarka by sitting above him, igniting discussions about the seating arrangement and its potential implications. "Yadadri Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy is a witness to Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka's deep shame," the party wrote. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has not yet commented on the matter.
'Deeply shameful' : BRS shares clip from temple visit
Opposition slams CM Reddy for mistreating cabinet ministers
Besides Vikramarka, Telangana's Environment and Forests and Endowments Minister Konda Surekha—a member of the Backward Classes (BC)—was also seated on the floor. Soon after the incident came to light, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) joined BRS in slamming CM Reddy and the Congress Party for the alleged discrimination. Both opposition parties accused CM Reddy of discriminating against Dalit and Bahujan leaders in his cabinet. The ritual was organized by Reddy at the Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Yadadri.
Vikramarka is Telangana's first Dalit deputy CM
Vikramarka became Telangana's first Dalit Deputy CM under the Congress government in December, following the party's victory in the assembly elections. But like many other states, the southern state is plagued by casteism and related atrocities. Despite Vikramarka's appointment as deputy CM, the Congress was accused of deceiving Dalits in its SC, ST declaration. Now, this video has further fueled the fire, with the state opposition slandering Congress for its alleged mistreatment of a Dalit leader.
Upper caste candidates dominated state assembly polls
While the three leading parties—the BJP, Congress, and BRS—promised to end casteism in Telangana, the majority of candidates fielded in state elections were reportedly from the upper caste. Exacerbating the situation, in September, a group of Dalit men and women were attacked by dominant-caste residents between the Ambedkar and Gandhi statues in Vattinagulapally village. They were allegedly attacked while trying to make an offering to a newly installed bodrai (stone deity) in an area that fell under the upper castes.
