Telangana minister's outburst at District Collector draws flak from BRS

Hyderabad: Telangana Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy's public outburst, during which he used the phrase "common sense" while expressing frustration over alleged poor arrangements at an official event here, drew criticism from the opposition BRS on Saturday.

A video, allegedly showing the minister confronting Karimnagar Collector Pamela Satpathy at the event on Friday, which also featured Union Minister Manohar Lal, led to sharp criticism from BRS MLC K Kavitha.

Kavitha termed the minister's behavior "shameful." In the video, Srinivas Reddy can be heard saying, "What are you doing? Any common sense...," while walking after the inauguration of a 24x7 water supply system in the town.

He appeared upset over the poor arrangements for the programme, with state Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar accompanying him.

Kavitha condemned the minister for "publicly humiliating the Collector," calling it an insult to both her and the principles of governance.

"Misogyny and arrogance have no place in public office. Such actions are unacceptable and reflect poorly on leadership. We stand firmly with the esteemed lady collector and demand accountability from the minister and Congress Party. Respect for public servants is non-negotiable," Kavitha said in a post on social media platform X, also posting a purported video of the incident.

There was no immediate response from either the minister or the Collector on the incident.