MLA Merugu Nagarjuna came down heavily on TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu for playing the Dalit card for his political interests and said the opposition leader has no right to talk about Dalits.

Speaking to media at party central office here on Tuesday, the MLA said while Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has been delivering good governance, Naidu, on the other hand, unable to digest it, has been playing cheap politics using the Dalit card. The MLA said It was Naidu who said who would want to be born as an SC and innumerable attacks and atrocities were carried out on Dalits during the previous government and added that Naidu should apologise to Dalits.

He challenged Naidu for an open debate on Dalit welfare schemes that were implemented in the last 26 months and the progress made by the TDP government in the last five years. He reminded that the state government has disbursed Rs 1.04 lakh crore through direct benefit transfer (DBT) under various welfare schemes in the last two years of which more than Rs 17,000 crore was given to Dalits and added that the number goes to Rs 24,000 crore including non DBT schemes like Arogyasri, Jagananna Thodu, and House sites.

He said Naidu has used the classification of Dalits issue for creating rift among Dalits and also created rifts between BC communities and Dalits and OCs and Dalits for his vested interests. He asserted that the state government is committed to the welfare and protection of Dalits and said even police were arrested in incidents where Dalits were attacked in the last two years.

He slammed Naidu for opposing English as a medium of Instruction and setting up of Ambedkar statue in Vijayawada and said Dalits are in no position to believe him. He said the Chief Minister is committed to the welfare of Dalits and hence provided 50 percent reservations to BC, SC, ST and Minorities in Nominated posts and nominated works.