Ponnam Slams BRS Over Cleaning of Dalit Protest Site at Erravalli

BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Wednesday condemned the alleged cleaning of the area at Erravalli where Dalits staged a protest by beating drums, calling the act an insult to Dalits and a shameful attack on democratic and constitutional values. Speaking in the Telangana Legislative Council, Ponnam said every citizen has the constitutional right to protest and noted that drum-beating is part of the traditional occupation and culture of Dalit



communities.

He alleged that cleaning the protest site with turmeric water reflected the social inequalities of the past and warned that such actions could deepen social divisions and create law-and-order problems. Ponnam also criticised the BRS and BJP, alleging that both parties had engaged in actions targeting Dalits. He demanded that the Legislative Council condemn the Erravalli incident and that the BRS express regret.