Hyderabad: Bairi Naresh, president of ‘Bharata Nasthika Samajam’ or the Atheist Society of India, was assaulted by Hindutva workers on Monday in Hanamkonda while he was being taken by the state police.
In a video that has gone viral, an attacker can be seen roughing up Naresh who is seated inside a police vehicle. Even as police try to move the attacker away, more people join.
Condemn the Hindutva goons' attack on the atheist activist Bairi Naresh today in Hanmakonda town Telangana. Police can be seen dispersing outside goons but one guy appears to be repeatedly hitting Naresh in the vehicle. Police should have stopped the guy inside the vehicle. pic.twitter.com/RbRsKrcDGj
— Dr.B.Karthik Navayan (@Navayan) February 27, 2023
Naresh was arrested earlier for making a derogatory speech against Hindu god Ayyappa in Vikarabad district on December 19 last year. The video soon went viral angering many right-wing organizations.
Later, while speaking to the media Naresh, who is currently on bail, said he had come to Hanamkonda to attend a college event.
“I was informed that BJP and RSS people were looking for me. Fearing an attack, I contacted the police who provided me with protection and arranged a vehicle for safe transport. However, the attackers got the better of us,” Naresh said, who belongs to the Dalit community.
This story was originally published in siasat.com . Read the full story here