Now a purification row in Telangana, featuring BRS supporters, Congress Dalit workers

This comes day after Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy promised a probe into ‘insult to and atrocities against Dalits’ in state. (File photo)

Telangana Police has lodged three cases against several BRS supporters for performing as many “purification rituals” near former Chief Minister and party supremo K Chandrashekar Rao’s farmhouse in Siddipet district – hours after Dalit workers of the Congress carried out a protest in the area on Tuesday.

This comes a day after Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy promised a thorough probe into “insult to and atrocities against Dalits” in the state in the backdrop of alleged insult to the Assembly speaker, who is a Dalit.

The matter assumes significance also because it comes amid the ongoing controversy involving an alleged purification ritual held in Uttarakhand last month at a venue where Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, a Dalit, had addressed a rally.

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), meanwhile, has lodged a counter-complaint, stating that images used by Congress leaders to accuse them of organising a “purification ritual” were misleading and AI-generated.

The said rituals were held in two villages – Erravalli and Varadarajpur — where Dalit Congress workers performed a Dappu (drum) protest against two BRS Members of Legislative Council (MLCs), besides other leaders of the Opposition, including the party chief himself, for an alleged verbal insult to Speaker G Prasad Kumar, Telangana Police said.

As part of the ritual, turmeric water and milk were sprayed on the roads where the Dalit leaders and workers of the Congress walked, the police said.

All the three cases have been booked at Murkook Police Station under Siddipet Commissionerate limits.

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The cases were booked under relevant sections of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities Act)-1989, Protection of Civil Rights Act and sections 196 and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), relating to promoting enmity between groups, and intentional insult to promote breach of peace.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Gajwel rural inspector D Ravi Raju said that the first case was registered against local BRS leader and former Erravalli sarpanch Balaraju and 10 others for conducting the “purification ritual”. He said, “The complaint was given by M Swamy of Erravalli village stating that he had participated in the protest and soon after he and other Dalit protesters left the place, a purification ritual was conducted using turmeric water.”

The second case was registered against BRS supporters Balamani, Appala Praveen, Raju and six others from Varadarajpur village near Erravalli. The complainant in the second case is B Srikanth, a farmer from the village. The police said that the accused allegedly carried out a “purification ritual” in Varadarajpur too.

The third case was registered against BRS supporter Pavani Goud and eight others based on a complaint filed by B Mohan of Wargal.

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“The complainant alleged that he saw news reports of Goud and other BRS supporters carrying out the purification ritual between Varadarajpur village and Erravalli farmhouse,” the inspector said.

The controversy had started on Monday with BRS MLCs Tata Madhusudan, also known as Tata Madhu, and Naveen Kumar Reddy allegedly uttering comments that were insulting to the Speaker and his mother.

On Tuesday, the police arrested the two MLCs who were released on personal bond by a local court. Following the alleged insult, the speaker of the Legislative Assembly had broken into tears in the House, prompting Congress MLA and even CM Reddy to state that they stand by the chair.

This was followed by a dappu protest organised by Dalit leaders of the Congress who marched to KCR’s farmhouse on Tuesday to express their condemnation of the verbal abuse.

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A top Siddipet police officer told The Indian Express that they would register more cases. “Complaints about this purification ritual have been lodged at police stations across the state. They all could be transferred as zero FIRs to Siddipet,” the officer said. While no arrests have been made in the case so far, the police have collected “forensic evidence, including the turmeric sprayed on the roads,” a police officer said.

Nikhila Henry is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Hyderabad. With a career spanning 17 years, she has established herself as an authoritative voice on South Indian affairs, specialising in the complex intersections of politics, education, and social justice. Experience & Career: Nikhila commenced her journalism career in 2007 as an education correspondent for The Times of India in Hyderabad,where she gained recognition for her coverage of student politics. Her professional trajectory includes a four-year tenure at The Hindu, where she focused on minority affairs and social welfare. In 2019, she took on a leadership role as the South Bureau Chief for The Quint, where she directed regional coverage across all five South Indian states. Her expansive career also includes a tenure at the BBC in New Delhi and contributions to prestigious international outlets such as The Sunday Times (London) and HuffPost India. Expertise & Focus Areas Nikhila’s reportage is marked by a deep-seated understanding of grassroots movements and institutional policy. Her core focus areas include: Regional Politics: Comprehensive analysis of the socio-political dynamics across South India. Education & Student Movements: Chronicling the evolution of Indian academics and the rise of youth activism. Minority Affairs: Rigorous reporting on the welfare, rights, and challenges facing marginalized communities. National Beat: Elevating regional stories to national prominence through investigative and on-ground reporting. Authoritativeness & Trust A respected figure in Indian media, Nikhila is not only a seasoned reporter but also an accomplished author and editor. She authored the critically acclaimed book The Ferment: Youth Unrest in India and edited Caste is Not a Rumour, a collection of writings by Rohith Vemula. Her dual background in daily news reporting and long-form authorship allows her to provide readers with a nuanced, historically-informed perspective on contemporary Indian society. Find all stories by Nikhila Henry here. ... Read More