Revanth's Remark Leaves Congress Red-Faced

HYDERABAD: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee chief A. Revanth Reddy’s comments about transgender persons, while issuing a challenge to Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, stirred controversy and left the party red-faced as it provided much-needed ammunition to the ruling BRS.

Daring the Chief Minister to contest from Gajwel again and give tickets to all sitting legislators, the TPCC chief repeatedly said the former would be viewed as “neither male nor female” if he failed to meet his two challenges.

Coming close on the heels of his controversial remarks on free power — which Revanth Reddy tried to retract by making a counter-offensive — his alleged insensitive references to transgender persons and manual scavengers were slammed by BRS leaders.

“On one hand, the AICC claims to have appointed a transgender person as a secretary of the women’s wing and on the other, Revanth Reddy drags them into his political discourse in a highly derogatory manner, causing deep pain to them,” said BRS leader Dasoju Sravan.

While targeting K.T. Rama Rao, the TPCC chief often alleges that the BRS working president was into ‘scavenging’ in the United States, before taking a plunge into Telangana state politics.

“Though he intended to prove a point that KTR amassed wealth after coming to power, Revanth’s expression is definitely belittling the profession,” a senior Congress leader said.

Revanth’s detractors within the Congress also took strong objection to what they described as “unwarranted” remarks on free power. They were of the view that the BRS was choking due to the positive atmosphere built by the Congress’ win in Karnataka, the induction into party ranks of several leaders from the BRS and the BJP, and a successful walkathon of CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka.

“We ourselves provided them the much-needed breather,” a Congress leader said.