Three SC/ST Act cases booked after BRS-Congress clashes near KCR farmhouse

Three cases have been registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in connection with the recent clashes between BRS and Congress supporters in Markook, Siddipet district. Those booked include both residents of the area and people from outside it.

The cases follow days of heightened tension in the village, which began with a protest described as Congress-backed and led by Dalit activists near the farmhouse of BRS president and former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao at Erravelli. The demonstration was called over alleged derogatory remarks by BRS MLCs against Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar.

The protest prompted a counter-mobilisation by BRS supporters, and the two groups confronted each other. Police stepped in and detained several people as the situation escalated.

According to the BRS, four of its leaders were injured in the clashes: former Markook MPP Krishna Yadav, former Gajwel Market Committee chairman Madasu Srinivas, Markook mandal BRS president Karunakar Reddy and former MPP Pandu Goud. Party leaders alleged that Congress workers attacked them while police were taking them into custody.

The dispute deepened after BRS cadres performed a "purification" ritual by sprinkling turmeric water on roads used by the Dalit Congress protesters. The act drew criticism from the Congress and turned the episode into a wider political flashpoint.

With the fresh cases now filed under the SC/ST Act, police are examining the incidents separately and verifying the role of those booked, including the outsiders named in the complaints.