In an unexpected decision, Telangana BSP chief RS Praveen Kumar on Saturday, March 16 announced that he was quitting the party. The announcement came just days after the BSP formed an alliance with the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
The former IPS officer blamed the BJP for quitting the party. “As soon as we announced the BSP-BRS alliance, the BJP has been making all-out efforts (including the arrest of Kavita) to break this historic alliance,” he said. Praveen Kumar said that fearing BJP's conspiracies, he cannot give up on his values. According to BSP party insiders, there was massive pressure on BSP national president Mayawati to walk out of the alliance with the BRS. “There was pressure from the BJP,” a source said. But Praveen Kumar was not inclined towards breaking the alliance.
The BRS and BJP are on warpath after BRS MLC K Kavitha, who is the daughter of K Chandrashekar Rao, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 15. Dramatic scenes unfolded in Hyderabad as the ED landed up at Kavita’s house in Banjara Hills and arrested her in the alleged Delhi liquor scam case.
“With a heavy heart I have decided to leave the Bahujan Samaj Party. I don’t want the image of this great party to suffer because of recent decisions (no matter how well informed they are) in Telangana under my leadership. At the same time I also don’t want to compromise on certain core principles and personal character. As a #swaero I shall not blame anyone and I also do not want to cheat those who trusted me,” (sic) Praveen Kumar wrote on X.
As an attempt to annihilate caste, Praveen Kumar who previously served as the Secretary of Telangana social welfare schools, coined the term Swaero. Dalit-Bahujans who wanted to erase their caste identity started using Swearo as a suffix to their names.
As part of the BRS-BSP alliance, it was decided that BSP will contest from Nagarkurnool and Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituencies while the BRS will contest from the remaining 15 seats.
Thanking BSP national president Mayawati, RS Praveen Kumar wrote, “I profusely thank most hon’ble #Behenji @mayawati for trusting and guiding me all through. You continue to be my hero, #Behenji.”
He added, “I shall always keep the core principles on which this Mission for Social Justice founded by Manyavar Kanshiram in my mind through out my life. I thank Sri Ramji Gautham ji, MP Rajya Sabha for handholding me in this short journey through the world of Bahujan politics.”
He said that he won’t bow down to any pressure in preserving the sacred constitutional values.
Praveen Kumar joined BSP in Telangana in August 2021, after taking voluntary retirement from the police service. Kumar, a Dalit, gained fame for his work in uplifting marginalised students as the secretary of the Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TSWREIS). He also set up Swaeroes, a social transformation group with the alumni of welfare institutions to aid students belonging to the Dalit-Bahujan community.