K T Rama Rao at Jillella finally, vows action on cops

Hyderabad: Minister K.T. Rama Rao, the Sircilla legislator, for the first time on Tuesday visited the Vemulawada government hospital where the victims of last month’s violence in Jillella village in the Assembly constituency were being treated. Before Mr Rama Rao, leaders of various political parties including former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar had met the victims, belonging to the BC, SC and ST communities, and alleged that they had been targeted by the police for trying to prevent sand smuggling.

Mr Rama Rao said he being the legislator knew what had happened and that he would always sail with the people. He assured the victims that he would take action on the police personnel found guilty, once the inquiry report submitted by the Karimnagar deputy inspector general of Police reached him. He said police action against victims was not intentional and everything happened on the spur of the moment.

Mr Rama Rao said the government would take care of the victims including getting them good medical treatment and attending to their genuine grievances. He said there were attempts by Opposition leaders to drive a wedge between him and the people but such attempts would not yield any results. “I am a local man and they are my people,. Today they asked me what sin they had committed in preventing sand smuggling. Whatever happened to them is unfortunate. Those who are coming to them are visitors they don’t carry any weight here,” Mr Rama Rao said. He said sand mining by the government agency was justified as the government intended to store water in the new Mid-Manair dam which necessitates  removal of silt on the river bed.

Rights panel to send team to Jillella:

National Human Rights Commission chairperson Justice H.L. Dattu on Tuesday promised to send a team to inquire into the incidents at Jillella in Sircilla district following reports of alleged police atrocities against Dalits and BCs. Congress leaders led by party TS incharge R.C. Kuntia, former PCC presidents V. Hanumantha Rao, Ponnala Laxmaiah, Congress MPs Renuka Chowdary, M.A. Khan, Rapolu Anand Bhaskar, TPCC general secretary Dasoju Sravan on Tues-day met Justice Dattu and formally lodged a complaint alleging that the police had committed atrocities on Dalit and BCs community members when they tried to prevent sand smuggling. They said there was largescale violation of human rights.