Screenwriter and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Vijayendra Prasad is in the eye of a political storm over some recent remarks on B R Ambedkar.

Prasad, who is also the father of filmmaker S S Rajamouli, had, in a recent speech, “apologised” for the wrongs committed by dominant caste people, including his forefathers, against Dalits. The speech, however, drew strong criticism from Dalit-Bahujan intellectuals in Hyderabad, who said that Prasad had concocted anecdotes about Ambedkar, claiming that “it was part of his research” for an upcoming film on the father of the Constitution.

Dalit organisations, under different banners, have now approached Hyderabad police demanding that Prasad be booked under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. According to the police complaint lodged by Telangana’s Mala (Scheduled Caste) Welfare Association president B Ram Prasad, Vijayendra Prasad came up with “a fictitious” narration. “The scandalous narration is fictitious and there is no evidence to it. Neither Dr Ambedkar wrote about this incident nor any noted historian had reported this.
Therefore, it is clear and evident that Mr Vijayendra Prasad has conspired to create this story around Dr B R Ambedkar,” the complaint by Ram Prasad read.

The story attempts to distort history and “trivialise and malign historic human rights movements led by Dr Ambedkar”, the complaint claims.
The Mala Welfare Association also alleged that Vijayendra Prasad is “trying to make a film with such derogatory depictions” centred around concocted anecdotes about B R Ambedkar.

“The scandalous remarks are punishable under the SC/ST (POA) Act and other appropriate penal provisions,” the complaint read.

Saifabad police, where the complaint has been lodged, have not registered an FIR against Prasad. The police station has been served two legal notices asking it to take action and register an FIR. The legal notice posted by advocate Srikanth Chintala read: “My client had brought to the notice of the police authorities that Mr V Vijayendra Prasad had publicly narrated a fictitious and scandalous story related to Dr B R Ambedkar in a widely circulated video, thereby insulting and humiliating a revered leader of the Scheduled Caste community”.

“The story was part of a project I am working on. It is part of the film grammar. Those who had the complaint have understood this now. They came and met me and realised that I have immense respect for Babasaheb Ambedkar,” Vijayendra Prasad told The Indian Express.

Meanwhile, speaking to The Indian Express, Srikanth Chintala said, “There is no historic reference to the scandalous story narrated by Vijayendra Prasad. There is no reference whatsoever to this story in any of the texts associated with Ambedkar. If his ‘research’ is throwing up such fictitious details, then the film he is going to make will also be derogatory, we fear.”

When contacted, Saifabad police inspector A Seethaiah said, “We are inquiring into the matter. An FIR will be registered only after the completion of the inquiry.”