Mala Mahanadu Demands Justice For Dalit Woman

Andhra Pradesh: At a gathering of key Mala Mahanadu leaders in Bhimavaram, State President Nanneti Pushpa Raj strongly condemned the continuous harassment faced by a Dalit woman employee that allegedly led to her suicide, demanding immediate action under SC/ST Atrocities Act against the accused.

• Year-long harassment ends in tragedy

Addressing the meeting, Nanneti Pushpa Raj expressed deep anguish over the suicide of a Dalit woman working as a VOA, who had allegedly been harassed for over a year by TDP village committee president Katepalli Subbarao. Pushpa Raj said that Subbarao’s repeated verbal harassment and coercive advances led to a toxic environment that ultimately pushed the woman to end her life.

• Demand for immediate arrest under SC/ST act

Pushpa Raj urged the state government to take swift and stern action by registering a case under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against Katepalli Subbarao. “This incident reflects the systemic neglect and vulnerability faced by Dalit women employees in villages. Such harassment must not go unpunished,” he said.

• Call for statewide protection for Dalit women

He assured that Mala Mahanadu would stand by all Dalit women across Andhra Pradesh who face harassment in any form. “We demand that authorities take immediate steps to ensure workplace safety and respect for Dalit women. If justice is delayed, protests will intensify statewide,” Pushpa Raj warned.

• Leaders rally behind the cause

The meeting was attended by several Mala Mahanadu leaders, including State Secretary Netala Suvarna Raju, District President Inti Sundar Kumar, and District Secretaries Chilla Raj Kumar and Kolati Prasada Rao. Youth and student wing leaders from Bhimavaram Pitta Vinod Kumar, Praveen, Sade Prasad, Chirra Sai, Vardhanapu Teja, Kedasi Nagaraju, Bhanu Prakash, Gandhi, and Suresh, also participated, vowing to support the movement for justice.

• A broader issue of workplace safety

This tragic incident has reignited the debate on the safety and dignity of women employees, particularly from marginalized communities, working at the grassroots level. Mala Mahanadu leaders emphasized the urgent need for mechanisms that prevent harassment and hold perpetrators accountable regardless of their political affiliation.

(Source: IAIJ/BIN/DPJB)