India
Congress MLA Malreddy Ranga Reddy Criticised After Video Shows Him Holding Girl’s Hand on Bus
By HT News Desk
Malreddy Ranga Reddy, a 70‑year‑old Congress MLA from Ibrahimpatnam, has been criticised after a video circulated on social media showing him holding the hand of a girl student on a state‑run RTC bus. The clip was shared by BJP national social media co‑convener Arun Yadav, who accused the MLA of inappropriate behaviour. BRS leader R S Praveen Kumar also questioned why the MLA held the girl’s hand and demanded that the Telangana State Women’s Commission summon him. Ranga Reddy denied the allegations, saying he was interacting with the students with “fatherly affection” and that the video was misinterpreted. He added that he had boarded the bus at Bonguluru after a meeting at the district Collector’s office on October 6 and that the interaction was with passengers from different sections. The incident has drawn criticism from both the opposition parties, with BJP’s Yadav referring to Congress’s “smash the patriarchy” slogan and BRS’s Praveen Kumar calling for action under IPC 354. Ranga Reddy has previously been involved in political controversies, including clashes during the 2023 Telangana Assembly election nomination filing in Ibrahimpatnam. The video shows the MLA interacting with two girl students while travelling on a state‑run bus under the Congress government’s ‘Mahalakshmi’ free bus scheme for women. The students mentioned that they have been travelling on state‑run buses for about a year and have saved around ₹45,000 annually because of the free travel scheme, according to PTI. At one point, the video shows Ranga Reddy holding one of the students’ hands and appearing to pull her closer, after which she moves away. The BJP’s post on X accused the MLA of putting his hand around the young woman’s waist even as she visibly pulled away, and criticised the Congress for not applying its slogans to its own leaders. BRS’s Praveen Kumar demanded that the Telangana DGP take action and questioned the absence of women safety personnel on the bus. 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 reiterated his respect for women and said the interaction had been twisted by the opposition.