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Congress MLA’s uncle among 3 booked for caste discrimination at Wanaparthy temple

BRS general secretary RS Praveen Kumar questioned how entering a temple on gram panchayat land without permission could be considered a crime.

Sreshta Ladegaam

Published Oct 14, 2026 | 7:30 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 14, 2026 | 7:30 PM

Sudheer being confronted by upper caste village elders (screengrab)

Sudheer being confronted by upper-caste village elders (screengrab)

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Synopsis: In Mangampally, a village in Peddamandadi Mandal of Wanaparthy district, a Dalit man and his family were asked to leave the temple premises during a renovation ritual. The video of the exchange has since gone viral on social media and triggered a political storm, as one of the accused is related to a ruling Congress MLA.

Police in Telangana’s Wanaparthy district have registered a case against three men for allegedly abusing a Dalit man and asking him to leave the premises of a temple at Mangampally village of Peddamandadi mandal.

The police registered the FIR after a video of the incident went viral on social media, drew sharp political criticism, and after a complaint by Masani Sudheer, a 33-year-old milk trader belonging to the Scheduled Caste Madiga community.

The incident gained public attention after it was revealed that one of the accused, Kuppireddy Venkatram Reddy, is the maternal uncle of Congress MLA Tudi Megha Reddy.

Also Read: Dalit family’s home allegedly demolished over inter-caste marriage

The complaint 

Sudheer said he visited the Lord Hanuman temple in his village with his family around 9:30 am on Monday, 12 October. Rituals related to the temple’s renovation were underway at the time.

He alleged that upper-caste men from the village, including Venkatram Reddy (60), Yeddula Srinivas Reddy (48), Yeddula Rajavardhan Reddy (45), and others, confronted him. In his complaint, he claimed all three men were related to MLA Megha Reddy, who also belongs to the same village.

According to the FIR, they told him no Scheduled Caste person had entered the temple in 50 years. They allegedly said he was not welcome because of his caste, and asked why he had gone in on the last day of the rituals and “desecrated” the shrine.

Sudheer further alleged that the accused threatened to demolish the temple because he had entered it. He also said that his parents suffered cruelty at their hands, and asked the police to hold the accused responsible if he or his family are subject to any harm.

The FIR invoked Section 352 read with 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and Sections 3(1) (r), 3(1) (s) & 3(1) za(C) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Sections 3(1)(r) and 3(1)(s) deal with intentionally insulting or intimidating a Scheduled Caste member and abusing them by caste name in public view. In contrast, 3(1) (za) (C) deals with social and economic obstruction.

Also Read: Manda Krishna Madiga on why Modi can save Madigas

Viral video and criticism

The exchange between the accused and the complainant has been widely shared on social media platforms. In the clip, the men tell Sudheer he must leave the premises because they built the shrine with their own money. They say that the temple does not come under the Endowments Department, so they are free to deny him entry.

BRS general secretary and former IPS officer RS Praveen Kumar condemned the incident and questioned how entering a temple on gram panchayat land, not private land, without permission could be considered a crime.

“Dear MLA sir, if you are someone who respects the values of justice, you should approach the police, file a case against your uncle and get him arrested,” he wrote in an X post.

The FIR was registered on the evening of 13 October after Sudheer submitted a complaint to the Superintendent of Police. DSP Giribabu has been assigned as the investigating officer. So far, no arrests have been made.

(Edited by Majnu Babu).

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