Hyderabad: Days after he sought voluntary retirement from services, ex-IPS officer Dr RS Praveen Kumar on Friday, dropped serious hints on his political foray.
Though he had earlier cleared rumours about him contesting from Huzurabad, Kumar on Friday addressed a large group of Swaeros (social welfare aeros or activists) in Sangareddy and said that he would fight for the cause of depressed sections.
“This is not a single day’s struggle, but that of decades. We want power. We want chances. We want equality. Why should we be kept away from education? Why can’t our children go to the US? I came here to ask on behalf of all of you,” Praveen Kumar said, amidst cheers from the audience.
Rumours were rife, when the former secretary of social welfare schools announced his decision, that he would join the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and that the party would project him as its Dalit face.
Only days after, chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao announced the Dalit Bandhu would be launched at Huzurabad with ₹1,000 crore.
Brushing aside all these rumours, Praveen Kumar took a direct dig at the chief minister in his speech.
“We have to fight for power now or never. Leaders come in the name of the Dalit Chief Minister. Do not trust them. Use social media for campaign. Do not get cheated once again. Take the message to rural areas. Let us get untied and build an agitation,” he said.
He said that the chief minister could have spent the allotted amount on education, via social welfare schools, rather than on schemes that are used to garner votes.
It is noteworthy that the supporters of Kumar present in the meeting raised slogans calling him the next chief minister. Reports also mentioned that he was not invited to the launch of the Dalit Bandhu scheme on July 26, which further clarifies that he would not be joining the ruling party.