more-in Nominated MLC S. Ramulu Naik hit back at the TRS leadership on Monday, alleging that only “betrayers” of Telangana were respected in that party and there was no respect for those who had been with the party during its lows and highs. Earlier in the day, he was suspended from the TRS on the charge that he was resorting to anti-party activities. He was nominated as MLC by the TRS under the Governor’s quota in 2014 for a six-year term but he has been upset with the party leadership for not giving him an opportunity to contest the coming Assembly elections either from his native Narayankhed constituency or from elsewhere. It is understood that the triggering point for his suspension is his meeting with AICC leaders and reported plans to switch over to the Congress. ‘Insult to tribals’ Reacting to his suspension by the TRS, Mr. Naik said his suspension from the party by TRS leadership was an insult heaped on the tribal community as the party had acted against him without even issuing a show-cause notice. “Neither D. Srinivas nor Konda Surekha was suspended from the party in spite of the demand from within for action against them. But, the TRS leadership suspended me alone since I am a tribal,” the MLC said. He criticised the TRS leadership for not keeping the promise of increasing reservation to Scheduled Tribes to 12% from the existing 7% and giving three-acre agriculture land to each landless Dalit family. The promises on setting up tribal university and filling ST backlog posts were also not kept by the party, he said. Further, he said, the promise of providing safe drinking water to every tribal habitation was not fulfilled and the word on establishing a tribal industrial development corporation had not been kept, Mr. Naik said. He became emotional, stating that every brick in Telangana Bhavan would tell whether he was a Telangana betrayer or supporter.

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