KCR wooing Dalits to counter TDP

HYDERABAD: Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief K Chandrasekhara Rao's announcement on Sunday that he would launch a movement against untouchability is being seen as an attempt to woo the Scheduled Castes in the wake of a full-throttle effrontery by Telugu Desam legislator Motkupalli Narasimhulu who belongs to the Madiga community.Speaking at a joint meeting of TRS women's wing and Telangana Private Employees' Federation at Telangana Bhavan here, Chandasekhara Rao, out of the blue, raised the issue of SCs and felt sorry for their being discriminated against. “It is inhuman to treat Dalits as untouchables and the shameful practice should stop,'' he said.According to analysts, Rao, when he said he would build a movement against untouchability, was in fact trying to wean away Dalits and thus deal a blow to Narasimhulu who has been using the most uncharitable words against him while attacking him on the issue of Telangana.Rao, by taking up the Dalit cause, will also be making an attempt to poach the support base of the Congress, which has considerable number of Madiga leaders in Telangana districts. Said Rao: “Though it is more 60 years since we got Independence, this practice of untouchability is continuing like a curse. We should see to it that this evil is eradicated." He also spoke highly of women and the need for 50 per cent reservation for them in legislative bodies. "We have written to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and prime minister Manmohan Singh, declaring our support for the women's reservation bill," he said.