Hyderabad: Telangana NSUI President Yadavalli Venkataswamy has made serious allegations of caste discrimination and internal sabotage within the Congress organisation, claiming that he has been targeted and undermined because he is a Dalit.
In a letter addressed to Dalit, backward and weaker-section leaders, senior leaders, elders and members of the community, Venkataswamy alleged that a former Telangana NSUI leader belonging to an upper caste, along with some upper-caste student leaders, had been working against him since the day he assumed charge as state president.
Venkataswamy, who identifies himself as a Dalit (Mala) leader, said that he comes from a poor first-generation political family in the Rahmath Nagar basti of Hyderabad's Jubilee Hills constituency. He described himself as the first-generation student leader from his community to enter politics and claimed that he was the first Dalit to head the NSUI in the history of undivided Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
He further claimed that he is currently the only Dalit among NSUI state presidents across the country, and said that the opportunity was given to him in recognition of his 14 years of work and service to the organisation.
According to Venkataswamy, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka and TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud were among those who enabled him to take up what he described as a historic responsibility.
Venkataswamy alleged that from the very first day of his tenure, he was targeted because of his caste.
Without naming the individual in the letter, he referred to a former Telangana NSUI state leader and alleged that the person had continuously discriminated against him and his committee.
Venkataswamy alleged that despite the individual having secured several important positions in the Congress and the state government at a young age, he had, over the past two years, faced what he described as "conspiracies, manoeuvring and obstacles" from him.
He claimed that attempts were made to financially and mentally weaken him and that an effort was made to ensure that the former leader's influence continued to dominate the NSUI.
The letter also refers to a protest at Gandhi Bhavan demanding Venkataswamy's removal. He alleged that upper-caste student leaders were instigated against him and that some Dalit leaders were also allegedly encouraged to oppose him.
He further alleged that negative narratives against him were circulated through sections of the media and on social media. One of the central allegations in Venkataswamy's letter concerns the constitution of organisational committees.
He alleged that he was repeatedly prevented from forming the NSUI's state and district committees.
According to him, he submitted lists on several occasions, but approval remained pending.
Venkataswamy claimed that when he finally decided to move ahead and constitute the committee, the formation of the committee itself was being used as a pretext to dissolve it and remove him from the state president's post before completion of his full term.
He portrayed the dispute as an attempt to restrict his authority as state president and retain control over the student organisation through a particular group.
Venkataswamy has gone beyond describing the dispute as an internal organisational conflict and connected it to the larger issue of caste discrimination.
He alleged that when a Dalit person begins to rise on an equal footing with members of dominant or upper-caste groups in politics, education, business or other fields, attempts are made to suppress that person through what he described as "jealousy and hatred".
He said his own experiences had helped him understand the difficulties faced by people such as Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi.
Venkataswamy wrote that portraying a Dalit NSUI state president as "inefficient" and attempting to suppress him could have consequences beyond his individual political career.
According to him, if such discrimination is not challenged, it could affect opportunities for Dalit leaders in future generations as well. Venkataswamy stressed in the letter that he was not raising the issue merely because he feared losing his position.
He acknowledged that the Congress had provided several opportunities to Dalits, but alleged that individuals within the organisation could cause serious damage to the political prospects of Dalit youth.
He said it was unfortunate that Dalit youth continue to face similar experiences in several parts of the country.
Invoking the legacy of Dr B.R. Ambedkar, Venkataswamy said he had faced the alleged discrimination with courage and would continue to do so.
He also invoked the revolutionary Telugu poet Sri Sri, quoting the idea that there was nothing to lose by fighting except the chains of slavery.
Venkataswamy said the matter should not be viewed merely as a dispute concerning his own position.
He argued that what happens to a Dalit state president could have implications for thousands of first-generation Dalit student leaders who see student politics as a pathway into mainstream politics.
He warned that if a Dalit leader who reaches a significant organisational position is systematically weakened, it could discourage other young Dalit leaders from seeking such positions.
He therefore appealed to Dalit, backward-class and weaker-section leaders to take note of what he described as caste discrimination within the organisation.
The political significance of Venkataswamy's allegations lies in the fact that they have come from the sitting president of the Congress's student organisation in Telangana, rather than from an opposition party.
Congress has made social justice, caste census and issues concerning caste discrimination central themes in its political discourse. Venkataswamy's allegations therefore raise questions about how social justice is experienced within the party's own organisational structures.
However, the allegations in the letter represent Venkataswamy's account and have not independently been established. The individual referred to by him as a former NSUI leader has not been named in the letter.
The Mooknayak will update the report on further developments or comments by senior party leaders.
Venkataswamy concluded his letter by thanking those who had supported him during his political journey and said he would continue to move forward with the blessings of his supporters and inspiration from Dr B.R. Ambedkar.
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