Andhra TDP leader booked for allegedly humiliating, attacking Dalits

Former MLA and government whip Chintamaneni Prabhakar has found himself in the eye of a storm yet again as he was booked for allegedly insulting and attacking members from the Dalit community. The incident reportedly happened in Pinakamidi village in Pedavegi of Andhra Pradesh’s West Godavari district. However, the police did not confirm when the alleged incident took place.

According to reports, a few members of the Dalit community filed a police complaint against Chintamaneni on Thursday, claiming that he and his allies had humiliated and attacked them over a sand excavation issue. A case was registered on Thursday night. 

“Several people from Pinakamidi filed a complaint alleging that Chintamaneni Prabhakar and few others publicly scolded them, humiliated them and attacked them. A case has been registered and an investigation is underway,” Pedavegi Police Sub-Inspector told TNM. 

The police also said that the case has been registered under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act as well as other sections of the Indian Penal Code.

This is not the first case booked against the MLA. Chintamaneni is known for his arrogance – from physically assaulting police constables and slapping a man over a torn poster of former CM Chandrababu Naidu to denigrating the Dalit community. 

Speaking to the media on Friday, Chintamaneni claimed that he was wrongly named in the case despite the fact that the clash broke out amongst the Dalits over the construction of a Dalit woman's house. He called the case ‘political vendetta’ by the ruling YSRCP government. 

He alleged that the case was filed to bar him from participating in protests against the Andhra government’s new sand policy. “We, the leaders and cadres of TDP, are not scared of your government just because you foist cases against us by influencing a few people," said Chintamaneni, lashing out at the ruling YSRCP government.

Chintamaneni was one of the few TDP leaders who were placed under house arrest on Friday for protesting against the government, demanding a new sand policy. The TDP has alleged that due to unavailability of sand, several lakh construction labourers are being affected in the state.

Also read: TDP protests unemployment due to alleged state govt delay in sand policy