The Opposition in Telangana has accused Anumula Tirupathi Reddy, brother of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, of acting as de facto chief minister after a video of him escorted by the district collector of
Vikarabad and school students giving him a guard of honour surfaced on social media.

The outrage stemmed over the video from the fact that Tirupathi Reddy is neither a public representative, nor does he hold any post in the government. He is niether entitled to the police convoy nor personal security officers.

Advertisement

The video that went viral of Tirupathi Reddy showed him being greeted by district officials, including the collector, on his arrival with a police convoy even as school children lined up alongside the road for
his welcome, many of them barefoot, while he was being given a guard of honour even by senior students.

The video evoked instant criticism with the Opposition castigating Revanth Reddy’s brother for acting as the de facto chief minister, particularly in the Vikarabad district that includes Kodangal, their
ancestral village, and the Assembly constituency represented by the chief minister.

In a statement laced with sarcasm, BRS working president KT Rama Rao said with Revanth Reddy at the helm of affairs, the state has got six more chief ministers for free (referring to CM’s siblings).

“The people of Telangana are lucky… If you choose one chief minister, half a dozen more come for free! 1+6 offer CM system has never beenseen in the history of independent India! These are my heartfelt wishes to the Vikarabad chief minister Tirupati Reddy Garu! Chief Minister Revanth Reddy Garu… I have a small request! Since it is a public administration (praja palana), I want the people to be given the opportunity to choose which of your chief ministers they want!” said Rao.

This is not the first time the BRS accused Tirupathi Reddy of acting like an extra-constitutional authority in Vikarabad. Earlier, he was accused of threatening farmers and their families after the Lagacherla agitation over land acquisition.

The BJP too came out against the chief minister on his brother’s indiscretion. The saffron party pointed out that once again Telangana was being ruled by a family as was the case with K Chandrasekhar Rao.

Telangana BJP spokesperson N V Subhash said, “How can such blatant misuse of power go unchecked? Is this not reminiscent of the arrogancedisplayed by the KCR family which ultimately faced the wrath of the
people?”

Demanding that the chief minister should rein in his brother, he said Revanth Reddy seems to be following the Congress culture by letting him operate as a parallel chief minister without holding any constitutional authority.