Demanding the implementation of welfare schemes for the Dalits, party workers of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) staged a dharna titled “Dalit Garjana dharna” on Tuesday near Dharna Chowk of Vijayawada.

When the police denied permission for the protest, some TDP leaders were seen climbing up on a water tank. The protesters called the ruling YSRCP government as ‘anti-Dalits’.

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TDP politburo member and former minister Nakka Anand Babu alleged that the state government was not providing funs for the welfare schemes for Dalits. He was stopped by police when he was heading to Dharna Chowk in Vijayawada to participate in the protest.

He alleged that the Jagan Mohan Reddy government was using undemocratic means to stop peaceful and democratic protests.

Notably, the Central government in February this year, said that it is implementing the Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme for welfare of Minority Communities.

It is an overarching programme which covers various schemes/initiatives of the participating Ministries/Departments with an aim to ensure that the underprivileged and weaker sections of six centrally notified minority communities have equal opportunities for availing the various Government welfare Schemes and contribute to the overall socio-economic development of the Country.

The programme has the following broad objectives:

(i) Enhancing opportunities for education;

(ii) Ensuring an equitable share for minorities in economic activities and employment, through existing and new schemes, enhanced credit support for self-employment, and recruitment to State and Central Government jobs;

(iii) Improving the conditions of living of minorities by ensuring an appropriate share for them in infrastructure development schemes;

(iv) Prevention and control of communal disharmony and violence.

Under the said Programme, various schemes/initiatives are implemented by various Ministries/Departments of the Central Government throughout the country (including Kerala and Rajasthan), for the welfare of notified minorities viz, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Muslims, Buddhists and Parsis.