Adoni MLA draws flak over casteist remarks, tenders apology

Time of India

5 hours ago

Tirupati: Adoni BJP MLA Dr P Venkata Parthasarathi has tendered an apology after his casteist-remarks' video drew criticism from the Dalit and SC-ST communities and from various quarters as well.
The Adoni MLA, who went to attend an official programme at Dhanapuram village on June 16, was addressing the villagers from a makeshift stage erected close to the local temple premises.
In the video which is going viral, the MLA calls for local sarpanch Chandrasekhar to come onto the stage. But when he can't find the sarpanch, Parthasarathi asks the leaders on the stage if Chandrasekhar was a Christian.
Then a local leader identified as Gudise Krishnamma tells the MLA that Chandrasekhar belongs to the SC community, and Chandrasekhar stops himself from going up onto the stage.
Various pro-Dalit organisations and human rights forums strongly condemned the incident and demanded an apology from the ruling party legislator after the video of the incident went viral on various social media platforms since Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Adoni MLA Parthasarathi clarified that he himself was from the BC community and had taken part in many Dalit movements in the past.
"I had no intention to hurt anyone's sentiments on the caste or religious lines. The local sarpanch Chandrasekhar had recently joined the BJP from the YSRCP and when I called up his name to come onto the stage and he wasn't seen anywhere, I doubted if he belonged to Christianity and was reluctant to come onto the stage which was close to the temple premises," he said.
Recalling his association with numerous groups fighting for Dalit rights, Parthasarathi stated that he was tendering an open apology if the incident had hurt the sentiments of the Dalit groups and others.