YSRCP stages protest at Andhra DGP office over Dalit activist's murder

The YSRCP leaders on Monday staged a protest in front of the Andhra Pradesh DGP office after police allegedly denied them permission to submit a complaint over the alleged murder of a Dalit activist.

YSRCP supremo YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had accused the TDP leaders of hitting party cadre Manda Salman with iron rods and killing him when he went to visit his ailing wife recently.

''The opposition party (YSRCP) staged a protest before the DGP's office. The police denied its leaders permission to lodge a complaint over the killing of Dalit activist Manda Salman,'' the YSRCP said in a release.

The opposition party alleged that the police refused to grant an appointment to meet the DGP, forcing leaders to hold a dharna outside the office, following which an Additional DGP received their representation.

The YSRCP alleged that Salman's killing was a ''government-sponsored murder'' and accused police of failing to register a proper FIR in this case, while ''shockingly booking a case against the deceased activist himself''.

''We were not even allowed to see Salman's body initially, and police acted only after YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said he would personally come and perform the burial,'' said senior YSRCP leader and former minister Merugu Nagarjuna in the release.

The opposition party claimed that serious crimes against Dalits, women and children were not being registered.

Likewise, former Gurazala MLA Kasu Mahesh Reddy alleged that the state had descended into lawlessness, claiming police failed to act against the attackers and instead filed cases against the deceased.

He further alleged that Salman's family was obstructed from performing last rites according to religious customs and that authorities demanded Aadhaar cards even for burial.

The YSRCP said it would approach the High Court through a PIL and continue its agitation until justice is delivered to Salman's family.

The opposition party leaders were humiliated at the DGP office and it questioned whether the police were working for the people or acting under political influence.

The YSRCP demanded Rs 1 crore compensation to Salman's family and action against TDP MLA Yarapathineni Srinivas Rao in connection with the case.

The YSRCP also sought a CBI probe into the killing of Salman, alleging political violence, police inaction and misuse of statutory powers.

According to the YSRCP, more than 200 party-supporting families were forced to flee Pinnelli village in Palnadu district due to intimidation, with Salman being one of the affected persons.

It alleged that on January 10, Salman was brutally assaulted with iron rods by political rivals. He suffered severe head injuries, slipped into a coma and later died during treatment.

The YSRCP alleged that despite being informed of the assault, police failed to intervene, refused to receive written complaints and deliberately did not register a proper FIR initially.

It claimed police later invoked lesser penal provisions despite clear medical evidence of grievous and life-threatening injuries caused by using deadly weapons.

YSRCP general secretary Jupudi Prabhakar Rao accused the NDA coalition government of pursuing an anti-Dalit agenda and indulging in what he termed ''murder politics'' targeting opposition party supporters.

He alleged that Dalits and those who voted for the YSRCP were being selectively targeted and threatened on political considerations.

Rao cited the killing of Salman as a glaring example, alleging that the ''murder was retaliatory in nature and amounted to a government-sponsored killing''.

''We will fight back as we cannot be intimidated for long, and a people's movement will be built as the misdeeds of the government increase with every passing day,'' he said.

Meanwhile, there was no immediate reaction from the ruling TDP.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)