Congress MLA Malreddy Ranga Reddy has come under fire from the BRS and BJP after a video purportedly showed him holding the hand of a girl student on a moving RTC bus.
The clip was shared by BJP's national social media co-convener Arun Yadav, who accused the Congress MLA of inappropriate behaviour. Similarly, BRS leader R S Praveen Kumar also questioned why the MLA held the girl's hand.
However, the Congress MLA has dismissed the accusation, saying he was interacting with the girls with fatherly affection.
Ranga Reddy, 70, who represents Ibrahimpatnam, is seen in the video interacting with two girl students while travelling on a state-run bus under the Congress government's ‘Mahalakshmi’ free bus scheme for women.
During the conversation, the students tell the MLA that they have been travelling on state-run buses for about a year and have been able to save around ₹45,000 annually because of the free travel scheme, as per news agency PTI.
At one point, the purported video shows Ranga Reddy holding one of the students' hands and appearing to pull her closer, following which she moves away.
{{/usCountry}}At one point, the purported video shows Ranga Reddy holding one of the students' hands and appearing to pull her closer, following which she moves away.
{{/usCountry}}The footage has drawn criticism from the Opposition, with the BJP and BRS questioning the MLA's conduct.
BJP's national social media co-convener Arun Yadav alleged that Ranga Reddy appeared to put his hand around the young woman's waist even as she visibly pulled away.
“And this is the party that lectures the country on ‘Smash Patriarchy’? The hypocrisy is staggering. When will Congress apply its slogans to its own leaders?” Yadav said in a post on X.
The BJP's remarks were in reference to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's recent “smash the patriarchy” message at a Pune event, where he asked women to challenge social structures that he said suppress and control them and to “be loud, be proud, and fight for your space in society.”
BRS leader R S Praveen Kumar also questioned why the MLA held the girl's hand and allegedly touched her inappropriately.
"Is it not an offence? Is it not outraging the modesty of a woman?" he told reporters. Praveen Kumar demanded that the Telangana State Women's Commission summon Ranga Reddy after obtaining legal opinion. He also questioned the absence of women safety personnel on the bus and urged the Telangana DGP to take action.
"DGP Women Safety, @TelanganaDGP, where are the SHE teams here? Take a complaint from the RTC conductor and book under 354 IPC. Both BJP and Congress are competing with each other in insulting women!" Praveen Kumar said in a post on X.
Congress MLA rejects accusations
Ranga Reddy, however, rejected the allegations, saying the interaction had been twisted by the BRS. He said he was speaking to the students with "fatherly affection".
In a video statement, the MLA said he had boarded the bus at Bonguluru on the outskirts of Hyderabad after attending a meeting at the district Collector's office on October 6.
He said he interacted with passengers from different sections during the journey and that some girl students requested more buses because of the heavy rush.
Ranga Reddy said the video was recorded while the bus was taking a turn and was being wrongly interpreted by the BRS on social media. He also reiterated his respect for women.
Ranga Reddy has also figured in political controversies in the past. During the 2023 Telangana Assembly election, clashes broke out between supporters of his Congress campaign and those of BRS candidate Manchi Reddy Kishan Reddy during the filing of nominations in Ibrahimpatnam, with reports of stone-pelting, injuries and damage to vehicles.
(With PTI inputs)