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- Congress MLA accused of inappropriate touching on bus.
- BJP, BRS criticize MLA's conduct, demand action.
- MLA denies allegations, cites "fatherly affection."
Congress MLA Malreddy Ranga Reddy has come under fire from the BJP and BRS after a video purportedly showed him holding the hand of a girl student on a State Road Transport Corporation (RTC) bus.
The opposition accused him of inappropriately touching the student. However, the Ibrahimpatnam MLA dismissed the allegations, stating he was interacting with the girl students with "fatherly affection".
Video Shows Congress MLA Interacting With Girl Students On Bus
In the video, the 70-year-old leader is seen interacting with two girl students while travelling on a state-run bus operating under the Congress government's 'Mahalakshmi' free travel scheme for women.
Congress MLA Malreddy Ranga Reddy appears to put his hand around a young woman’s waist even as she visibly pulls 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? https://t.co/nFIe5iPt8E
— Arun Yadav (@BeingArun28) October 7, 2026
During the conversation, the students shared that they have saved around Rs 45,000 annually because of the free travel scheme, according to news agency PTI.
At one point, the video shows the MLA holding one of the students' hands and appearing to pull her closer, after which she moves away.
BJP And BRS Attack Congress Over MLA's Conduct
The video has drawn sharp criticism from the Opposition, who raised serious questions over his conduct.
BJP national social media co-convener Arun Yadav alleged that the politician appeared to put his hand around the young woman's waist even as she 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 referenced Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's recent "smash the patriarchy" message at a Pune event.
BRS leader R S Praveen Kumar also questioned the MLA's actions, asking why he held the student'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 the Congress leader after obtaining a legal opinion. He also questioned the absence of women's safety personnel on the bus and urged the state police chief to take immediate 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 Allegations
Ranga Reddy rejected the allegations, saying the interaction was twisted by BRS and that he spoke to the students out of affection.
In a video statement, he explained that 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 interacted with various passengers during the journey, noting that some students requested more buses to manage the heavy rush.
He stated that the video was recorded while the vehicle was taking a turn and was being interpreted wrongly by the BRS on social media, while reiterating his respect for women.
(With Inputs From PTI)