Richest Lawmaker in Poll-bound Telangana leaves TRS to Join Congress
Hyderabad, Nov 21: A day after Lok Sabha member Konda Vishweshwar Reddy quit the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) citing 'disappointment' at various levels, AICC in-charge of Telangana, R C Khuntia Wednesday said he would join the Congress.
Reddy met Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Delhi today and expressed his desire to join the party, Khuntia told PTI.
Reddy would formally join the party on November 23 at a Congress campaign rally at Medchal in the presence of former Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, he said.
The TRS Lok Sabha member from Karimnagar, B Vinod Kumar said, "It's unfortunate that Vishweshwar took that decision (to quit TRS).
"I don't think so," Kumar, the deputy floor leader of TRS in Lok Sabha, told PTI when asked if Reddy's decision would have an impact on TRS prospects in the December seven Assembly elections in Telangana.
In a setback to the TRS ahead of the Assembly polls, Reddy had quit the party Tuesday.
In a letter to the TRS president and caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Reddy said he was disappointed with the ruling party at various levels.
He was forced into a position of contemplating leaving the party despite the fact that today TRS enjoys significant goodwill in the "social circles that we are in," Reddy had said in his letter.
Reddy listed disappointments at five levels -- personal, injustice to karyakartas (those) who worked for Telangana statehood, constituency, state and party -- in the letter.
He said he would resign from the Lok Sabha.
The Telangana assembly elections are scheduled to be held on December 7.
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Dalit officer alleges harassment by senior officials in Civil Rights Enforcement Directorate
Bengaluru: An Inspector of the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement (DCRE) has alleged that Dalit officers are facing harassment from senior officials within the department that is meant to handle cases of atrocities against SC/ST communities.
Inspector T.R. Srinivas has made the allegations in a letter addressed to DCRE Director General of Police Umesh Kumar, which he has also shared with the media. He has also released a video reiterating the claims.
In the video, Srinivas has named DCRE SP Karibasangouda and DySP Maheshwaragouda, alleging that he was pressured to act in favour of upper-caste accused in certain cases. He further claimed that false complaints were accepted against him and he was harassed in the name of inquiry.
Srinivas also alleged that he was not officially relieved from duty in DCRE, but that SP Karibasangouda and DySP Maheshwaragouda created “fake documents” showing that he had been relieved, which he said was in violation of an order of the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal (KAT).
He said he had served for 20 years without any adverse remarks, but is now being targeted. “Working for Dalits and serving in the police department itself seems to have become a mistake,” he said, adding that Dalit officers are not receiving protection in the state.
He also alleged lack of transparency in the department and claimed that decisions are being dominated by upper-caste officials. In the video, he appealed to the government to intervene and prevent any untoward incident, warning that if the situation continues, responsibility would lie with the Chief Minister, Home Minister and the DGP.
Srinivas had been transferred from the DCRE last month, but had obtained a stay on the transfer from the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal.
Meanwhile, DCRE SP Karibasangouda has denied the allegations made by Srinivas.
