Dalit body president attacked in Hyderabad during presser on alleged irregularities at Telangana gurukuls

Hyderabad: National SC Reservation Parirakshana Samiti president Karne Srisailam was attacked while addressing a press conference at the Press Club in Hyderabad on Tuesday. According to the Panjagutta Police, Srisailam was speaking on alleged irregularities in gurukuls and social welfare residential schools in Telangana when he was thrashed by one Alexander, a PhD student from Osmania University, and his associates. The police said Alexander and his associates alleged that they were attacked by Srisailam’s followers.

#WATCH: National SC Reservation Parirakshana Samithi president, Karne Srisailam, attacked during a press conference at Press Club in Hyderabad yesterday. He was speaking on irregularities in Gurukul Pathshala (residential schools for SC/ST in Telangana) pic.twitter.com/e0brXDe1Tt

— ANI (@ANI) May 22, 2019

According to The New Indian Express, the men who attacked Srisailam were members of ‘SWAERO’ (a campaign for the social welfare of Dalits). They claimed to be supporters of RS Praveen Kumar, secretary of the Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society that handles the functioning of gurukuls in the state. Media persons who tried to intervene and stop the assault on Srisailam were also attacked and their equipment damaged. Srisailam had taken permission to hold the press conference on the alleged irregularities at gurukuls, and how SWAEROs were allegedly controlling the institutes across Telangana. The police have registered a case on the attack on Srisailam and an investigation is underway. SWAEROs is a campaign for Dalit welfare launched by Kumar.