YSRC minister accepts TD challenge on SC development

VIJAYAWADA: Social welfare minister Merugu Nagarjuna expressed his readiness for a public debate on SC welfare and development with TD chief N. Chandrababu Naidu and TD general secretary Nara Lokesh.

Lokesh had earlier accused YSRC government and minister Nagarjuna of ignoring development of scheduled castes and not containing increased attacks on Dalits in the state.

The minister countered that Telugu Desam government led by Naidu never worked for Dalits welfare and development during its five years of tenure. On the contrary there were attacks against the SCs. Nagarjuna said he is ready to prove the role of then minister K. Atchannaidu in the attack on Kalyani in Srikakulam district, violating the modesty of a Dalit woman in Jerripotulapalem in Visakhapatnam, Dalits tied up in Amalapuram, ill treatment of 400 families in Garagaparru for putting up a statue of Ambedkar, beating up of a boy in Agiripalli police station, seizure of 98 acres of land in Devarapalli, the Pathirikuppam incident, the way Chandrababu dealt with the attack on Vasantha Rao in Kurnool, and the social inequalities in Kuppam.
“Let Lokesh decide on date, time and venue. We are ready to discuss and prove all the attacks and atrocities committed on Dalits during TD rule,” the minister remarked.
Nagarjuna pointed out that there is no sub-plan for SCs or STs after abolition of the Planning Commission. There are only plan and non-plan funds in the budget with SC and ST components.

Nagarjuna asserted that both these funds are being directly allotted to Dalits by the Jagan government. He said now Dalit students are also able to access education in English medium in government schools. He alleged that earlier, Naidu had restrained Dalits and other deprived sections from accessing education in English medium.