Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, addressing a group of people in Kamareddy, said that Dalits convert out of Hinduism in search of respect. He suggested that Dalits are not treated well in Hindu society. And that they are the poorest sections in the villages.

The TRS supremo peppered his speech with references to his Hindu beliefs. "I am a Hindu and I confess it openly. I do yagas and rituals with devotion. I follow my Dharma unapologetically. I don't do pujas secretly," KCR said, as some of the leaders on the dais clapped.

He then added, "Let me say it frankly. A Dalit who doesn't get respect when he is a Hindu gets respect after he converts to Christianity. 'Danayya ga' becomes 'Daniel garu'. The fault lies with us. If you think of it, it pains us. No matter which village you go to, the poorest people are Dalits. This is the situation from Kashmir to Kanyakumari." He stressed that Dalits remaining in poverty pains him as a Hindu.

KCR referring to himself as an unapologetic Hindu is interesting.