Shadnagar Congress MLA Shankaraiah threatens to attack Velamas

Hyderabad: In a socially concerning incident, Shadnagar Congress MLA Veerlapally Shankaraiah has used filthy words to threaten the people from the ‘Velama’ community of dire consequences in a video which has gone viral on Friday, December 6.

In response to the video, BRS MLC K Kavitha, whose family’s lineage is from the Velama community, has questioned whether Shankaraiah’s remarks were the Congress’ official stand on the community, and sought to know if chief minister A Revanth Reddy and TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud endorsed the MLA’s remarks against the community.

In the video, Shankaraiah could be seen threatening the community members that if they (apparently directing his threats at BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao’s family) tried to conspire against the Congress government, he would break their backs.

Using filthy language unbecoming of an elected people’s representative, he said that even without the knowledge of the chief minister, “strong leaders” like him will launch physical attacks against the Velamas.

“As the Shadnagar MLA I’m telling you, I myself will resort to physical attacks against you Velamas,” he threatened.

Shockingly, the remarks of the people’s representative came on the day of Bharat Ratna Babasaheb Dr BR Ambedkar’s death anniversary on Friday, December 6.

Shankaraiah is a known close confidante of Revanth Reddy, who had contested from Shadnagar assembly constituency in 2018 on a BSP ticket, but had lost to Yalganamoni Anjaiah of BRS. He came third when the results were announced, securing 27,814 votes out of the 1,66,527 votes polled.

In 2023 assembly elections, he won with a small margin of 7,128 votes against his nearest rival Anjaiah.