Andhra Pradesh - Eluru   

Row over TDP MLA’s arrest takes caste turn

ELURU: The arrest of TDP MLA T.V. Rama Rao in an alleged case of rape and murder, which subsequently acted as an ignition for the TDP-Left combine to put up a united fight against the Congress regime in the State, brings to the fore the caste animosities between the Malas and the Madigas.

The alleged involvement of Mr. Rama Rao of the Madiga community, an educationist who got elected to the Assembly for the first time from Kovvuru SC reserved segment, has spurred his Mala counterparts into a raging protest against his alleged role in the rape and murder of a student in the nursing college run by him at Nidadavole. Expectedly, he drew support from his own community following a visit by Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS) leader Manda Krishna Madiga to the suspected place of offence, leading to a showdown between the Malas and the Madigas.

Malas, who are economically and educationally well-placed than the Madigas in West Godavari district, are peeved over the lack of representation for them in the Assembly. Ironically, all the three reserved Assembly segments such as Kovvuru, Gopalapuram and Chintalapudi went to the Madigas this time, leaving the Malas high and dry. Close on the heels, Pilli David Kumar, an activist of Mala Mahanadu from Kovvuru area in association with his fellow caste man working for a private TV channel played a pivotal role in highlighting the issue of the alleged case of rape and murder.

Basing on the complaint of Mr. David Kumar, the police detained the MLA at Nidadavole police station throughout the night and let him off the next day morning for want of evidences.

Against this backdrop, the district witnessed a day of protest by the TDP workers at Kovvuru in support of their MLA and Malas at the Collectorate in the city against him on Friday.

Led by the party district president Mallula Lakshmi Narayana and former minister Maganti Venkateswara Rao (Babu), the TDP workers held up traffic on the Eluru-Rajahmundry State highway for more than one hour.

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