Tension gripped Pelluru village, near here, on Saturday after miscreants desecrated the statue of B.R. Ambedkar.
A group of enraged Dalits staged a demonstration demanding action against those responsible for “hanging a garland of chappals to the statue”.
Dr. C.M. Trivikram Varma, SP, who rushed to the village said normalcy was quickly restored after interacting with leaders of various communities and by promising action against the guilty.
A case under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities (POA) Act and other IPC Sections was registered and referred to G. Prakash Rao, Kandukur Dy. SP. Police pickets were posted in the village to avert trouble, G. Srinivasa Rao, Ongole Dy. SP added.
Differences cropped up among members of the SC and BC communities over the naming of the community hall with the latter insisting on inclusion of the name of Mahatma Jyoti Rao Phule as it had been built with the Ongole Municipal Corporation funds on land donated by them for construction of school. While Dalits from the Mallapalle wanted it to be treated as a community hall exclusively for them, the BCS pressed for throwing open the building to all villagers. Now the revenue and the OMC authorities had to settle the issue of ownership of the 7.5 cents of disputed land, said Ravulapalli Murali, a BC leader in the village.
