Kaleshwaram 23 rd May 2025 ( TGN) :The prestigious Saraswati Pushkaralu organized by the Telangana State Government has led to political controversy within the ruling Congress party in the Peddapalli parliamentary constituency, due to the conduct of Endowments Department officials.
Flex banners and cutouts installed for the event did not include photos of the local MP from the ruling Congress party, Gaddam Vamshi Krishna, who belongs to the Dalit community. Dalit groups and leaders expressed outrage, stating that this is an insult to the Dalit community and to a leader striving for the upliftment of marginalized sections. They criticized the officials of the Endowments Department for appearing to deliberately exclude Dalit leaders, suggesting this reflects a discriminatory attitude.
They warned that if proper protocol is not followed in official events, they will launch a cross-party struggle in support of Gaddam Vamshi Krishna, asserting that this is not merely a party issue but an affront to the dignity of the entire Dalit community.
Despite the Chief Minister himself attending the Saraswati Pushkaralu inauguration event, the local MP Gaddam Vamshi was not invited, nor was he seen at the inauguration. In response, angry Congress leaders protested by displaying banners questioning the Endowments Department: “Can’t you see the Dalit MP?”
During the protest, police forcibly seized banners from Congress leaders and Dalit organization members, behaved rudely, and pushed them around. In the scuffle, a Dalit Congress worker sustained a leg injury. Police even snatched a mobile phone from a journalist who was filming the incident.
Currently, the Endowments Commissioner is the wife of State Minister Sridhar Babu. There have already been multiple disagreements between Minister Sridhar Babu and MP Vamshi Krishna over protocol issues. Protesters allege that Minister Sridhar Babu, upset by MP Vamshi Krishna gaining public recognition by raising constituency issues in Parliament, is misusing the Endowments Department for political vendetta. They claim that the Dalit MP was deliberately sidelined in the Pushkaralu event because of his caste.
