Desecration of Ambedkar statues trigger tension in Andhra

Hyderabad: Caste tension continued to prevail in the Konaseema region of the East Godavari district as a complete bandh was observed today in protest against the desecration of the statues of the Dalit icon Dr B R Ambedkar at four places in Amalapuram assembly constituencies.

The Bandh call was given by several Dalit organizations to protest against the vandalism by the miscreants who demolished and damaged the statues at four places in and around Amalapuram town.

It created tension and led to clashes between the people of different castes forcing the police to clamp section 144 in the area. Additional police force and the Rapid Action Force was rushed to the area to bring the situation under control, the East Godavari district superintendent of police Trivikram Varma told the reporters.

In view of the precarious situation, the state government asked the additional director General of police T. Krishna Rao to head the investigations in to the incidents, which appeared to be part of a deeper conspiracy.

The incidents occurred in the backdrop of rising tension between Dalits and the Kapus, traditional political rivals in the Godavari belt. The tension was sparked off by induction of two Kapu leaders of erstwhile Praja Rajyam Party in to the cabinet.

Amalapuram MP Harsha Kumar, who is a Dalit, had taken objection to the rise of Kapus and sacking of a Dalit minister P Shankar Rao from the cabinet.

The desecration of Ambedkar’s statues has evoked a strong reaction from all the political parties. Senior Congress leader G Venkat Swamy blamed the failure of the government for the incidents and said that the Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy had failed to prevent such incidents.

Congress MP from Peddapally G Vivekanand also critised the Chief Minister and said that his weak leadership was responsible for the incidents.

YSR Congress party workers washed Dr Ambedkar’s statue in Hyderabad with milk in protest against the desecration of statues. Telangana Jagruti leader Kavita wrote an open letter to the Chief Minister demanding the installation of the statue of Dr Ambedkar in the state assembly.