Adluri Laxman Kumar and Ponnam Prabhakar
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Hyderabad: Two Ministers in Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy's Cabinet in Telangana appear to be at odds after Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar allegedly made derogatory remarks on Scheduled Castes Development, Tribal Welfare and Minorities Welfare Minister Adluri Laxman Kumar.
During a recent election event at Rahmath Nagar, as part of the Jubilee Hills seat bypoll campaign, Prabhakar was heard referring to Laxman as a "dunnapothu" (buffalo) while speaking with another Minister, G Vivek. Unaware that his microphone was still on, Prabhakar's comments were audible to everyone present at the meeting. "He is a buffalo, has no value for life," Prabhakar was heard saying to Vivek as Laxman arrived late.
Deeply hurt by the remark, Laxman has said he would file a complaint with the party high command if Prabhakar fails to issue an apology. As Laxman belongs to the Dalit community, several Congress SC MLAs have expressed solidarity with him and met Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief B. Mahesh Kumar Goud on Tuesday to convey their concerns.
On the directions of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Mahesh Goud called Laxman and advised both Ministers to work together in coordination.
During the call, Laxman expressed his anger toward Prabhakar. "Do you look down on Madigas so much?" he questioned. Laxman said that he would leave Prabhakar's comments to his own wisdom, remarking that speaking arrogantly was not his way. He also clarified that, unlike Vivek, he does not have money.
Laxman expressed anguish, asking whether it was his fault that he became a Minister and was born into the Madiga community. He said he would soon meet Congress top leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and party State in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan. He alleged that when he sits in a chair, Vivek gets up and leaves, unable to tolerate being next to him.
Prabhakar denied making derogatory comments, claiming his words were distorted and were actually about delays in confirming his flight tickets.
While speaking with both Ministers over the phone, Mahesh Goud urged cooperation and coordination.
In June, when Revanth Reddy decided to expand his Cabinet, Laxman, who hails from Jagtial district, emerged as a surprise choice. Laxman was elected to the Telangana Assembly for the first time from the Dharmapuri constituency, but he has been a loyal Congress worker since his days in the NSUI. Among the Scheduled Castes, Madigas are numerically strong compared to other Dalit caste groups in Telangana.