Hyderabad: A month after a ‘purification’ ritual was performed in Uttarakhand following Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s address at a rally in Haldwani, a similar anti-Dalit practice was publicly demonstrated in Telangana on Wednesday (September 9). This happened a day after Dalit leaders and Congress workers held a protest against Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) president and former chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.On Tuesday, September 8, a large number of Dalit leaders and Congress workers had marched in a ‘Chavu-Dappu’ procession to Rao’s farmhouse on the outskirts of Varadharajapuram village in Siddipet district. Funereal drums, ‘Chavu-Dappu’, were beaten during this procession. Beating the drums in a funeral procession is an occupation traditionally associated with Dalits.The Congress leaders’ procession was in protest against two BRS MLCs, Tata Madhusudhan and Naveen Kumar Reddy, who they said had insulted assembly speaker G. Prasad Kumar, a Dalit, on September 7. That was on the first day of the state assembly’s monsoon session, when the BRS MLAs and MLCs had tried to gatecrash into the assembly premises against severe security restrictions in the area.Also read: Twenty-Nine Days After ‘Purification’ Ritual at Kharge Rally in Haldwani, Police File FIRAlleging that the area near the farmhouse was “desecrated” by the drum-beating procession, the BRS cadre on Wednesday poured turmeric-water and milk on the road and nearby places to symbolise ‘purification’ of the entire area. The Scheduled Caste cell of the Congress termed this as an attempt to promote untouchability, and, alleging that it was done the blessings of Rao, demanding action against him under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1987.Scheduled Caste organisations representing Mala and Madiga sub-castes reacted strongly to the ritual after videos went viral on social media. A Congress leader, Satish Madiga, said a zero FIR had been registered at Saifabad against Rao and other BRS leaders.Congress party’s Choppadandi MLA, Medipally Sathyam, said he had filed a complaint at Saifabad police station. His complaint says the procession led by Congress workers near the farmhouse was part of a statewide call by the party to protest the intemperate remarks previously made by the two BRS MLCs – Tata Madhusudhan and Naveen Kumar Reddy – against Speaker Kumar’s late mother.Sathyam’s complaint said that the call for “dandora” – a traditional drumbeat to gather people and share important news – was issued to seek an apology from Rao for the misconduct of his party’s MLCs.The Congress protest and aftermathCongress workers had proceeded towards K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s farmhouse from four directions. A large group had also gathered on the Hyderabad-Karimnagar highway, led by former MLA T. Narsa Reddy. This group alone could approach the farmhouse, breaching the obstacles set up by the police along the way. Narsa Reddy was injured in clashes with police during this march. His group still remained two kilometres away from Rao’s farmhouse.Speaking to the media later, Sathyam alleged that the ‘purification’ ritual which followed the march was conducted on the instructions of Rao. He said it was evident that the BRS practiced caste discrimination. Another Congress MLA, K. Shankaraiah, wished “bad times” befall Rao, which BRS later said meant that the rival party aimed to “kill” him.Following this series of developments, the Congress has said it will “expose” the anti-Dalit stand of the BRS. Over a dozen party MLCs demanded that the Election Commission of India derecognises the BRS. A delegation of Congress legislators from non-elite castes, led by deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, called on Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla and said the BRS was trying to push the state into a “dark era”. They compared the developments to Germany under the Nazi Party and the activities of the American far-right hate group Ku Klux Klan.BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao in a scuffle with police as the BRS legislators tried to gatecrash into the Assembly wearing black T-shirts to protest against the Congress-led Telangana government failures on September 7. photo by arrangement.The BRS, led by working president K.T. Rama Rao, met the governor separately and complained that the procession to the farmhouse was an aborted attempt to murder Rao, and alleged that it had been authorised by chief minister Revanth Reddy. He said the Congress had mobilised thousands of people with police escort to lay siege to the farmhouse.However, the Congress maintained that the police stopped them at several places enroute.Monsoon Session chaosThe purification ritual topped a series of incidents that unfolded since the BRS legislators tried to gatecrash the assembly premises wearing black T-shirts. There were scuffles between them and a huge police force that sought to stop anyone wearing black clothing or carrying black items from entering the Assembly. That is when Tata Madhusudhan and Naveen Reddy allegedly made remarks about the Speaker and his family.BRS MLC Naveen Kumar Reddy stopped by women police from entering the Assembly on September 7. Photo by arrangement.During this incident, a few MLAs had taken off their T-shirts and confronted the police, including women constables, in a half-dressed state. A woman constable trying to catch BRS MLA and former minister P. Sabita Indra Reddy was caught on camera. The video was aired on TV channels and weaponised by the BRS as an assault against a legislator. The party has sought action against the police.Police and Assembly actions so farOn Wednesday, BRS members stormed into the well of the House and 22 were suspended for the rest of the session, which ends on Saturday (September 12). At the same time, the police arrested Madhusudhan and Naveen Reddy. They were released within hours in court.The verbal abuse by both the legislators has been referred to the ethics committee of the Legislative Council. Chief minister A. Revanth Reddy has announced a comprehensive inquiry into the developments, right from allegations of a “conspiracy” hatched in the farmhouse on September 6 when Rao presided over a meeting of the BRS legislature party ahead of the monsoon session, to the ‘purification’ rituals held after the Congress march.Also read: Uttarakhand HC Dismisses Plea For Impartial Probe Into ‘Purification’ Ritual After Kharge SpeechHyderabad joint commissioner of police Vijay Kumar will head the investigating team, the chief minister has said.Revanth Reddy also said Madhusudan and Naveen Reddy will face tougher action under the anti-atrocities law. The assembly adopted a resolution demanding action against both of them, which the Legislative Council chairman has approved. The chief minister also said K. Chandrashekar Rao’s family should be socially boycotted for practicing “caste discrimination”.The local police in Varadharajapuram village have also registered cases against people involved in performing the purification ritual. Separate cases have been booked in connection with the scuffle at the assembly gate as well, at the behest of BRS members.Congress party’s Satish Madige also said that a statue of Dr B.R. Ambedkar, which K. Chandrashekar Rao had offered respects to when he was the chief minister, would be symbolically purified with milk and requested chief minister Revanth Reddy to arrange a crane for this.