Several dalit leaders of the Congress party on Monday came out in defence of Labour Minister Danam Nagender who has been accused of beating up a dalit youth, Shravan, near Tukkaramgate on Sunday.
Talking to reporters, Congress MLC MS Prabhakar accused the Telangana Rashtra Samithi of trying to malign the image of Danam Nagender who is emerging as a popular leader in the city. They said that both the attack and case on Nagender were politically motivated.
Prabhakar said that Nagender did not beat up the dalit youth and the entire episode was a media creation. He said that TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao and Telangana Political Joint Action Committee chairman Prof M Kodandaram were trying to exploit the dalit sentiments against the Labour Minister. Asking the dalits not to fall into their trap, he said Danam has been a secular leader who never targeted any community.
As many as 14 corporators belonging to SC, ST and BC castes were also present during the press conference. Later, they submitted a memorandum to Pradesh Congress Committee president Botsa Satyanarayana stating that the reports of attack on dalit youth were a part of larger conspiracy against Danam Nagender.
In a separate press conference, Congress MLCs Farooq Hussain and Rajeshwar Rao said that all the allegations Danam were baseless and the TRS was trying to exploit the situation by giving caste-angle to the entire episode.