The tragic death of a two-month-old infant following a violent altercation at the Sri Mallanna Swamy Jatara in Kummera village, Nagarkurnool district, has triggered massive political outrage in Telangana. The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), led by working president K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) and former minister Srinivas Goud, has launched an aggressive campaign demanding immediate accountability and severe legal action from the Congress government. BRS leadership, alongside Backward Classes (BC) and SC/ST welfare organizations, has accused local festival organizers of executing a caste-backed assault on a vulnerable family that ultimately cost the newborn her life.
According to the victim’s family, who belong to the washerman (Rajaka) community, the trouble began when they visited the temple for a darshan and were allegedly barred from entry by the event organizers, who targeted them with severe caste-based slurs. The confrontation quickly turned physical, escalating into a chaotic mob scuffle where the organizers reportedly assaulted devotees. During the melee, the infant’s mother, Chandrakala, was pushed forcefully to the ground while holding her baby. The infant sustained internal trauma during the fall, began showing severe symptoms of illness, and tragically passed away while receiving medical care shortly thereafter.
The BRS has placed the responsibility for the escalation squarely on the ruling Congress administration, slamming what they describe as an “unforgivable silence” from Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy. Visiting the grieving family in Kummera village, KTR demanded that the police upgrade the charges to a full murder case against all eight accused individuals and call for the maximum penalty under the law. The opposition party has voiced serious concerns that local administrative forces and ruling-party politicians are misusing their authority to dilute the police investigation and shield the perpetrators from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.