Congress MLA seen touching woman student on bus, BJP takes 'smash patriarchy' dig

Congress MLA Malreddy Ranga Reddy is seen in the video speaking to two girl students while travelling on a state-run bus. At one point, he is seen holding one of the girls' hands and appearing to pull her closer, but she moves away. He then reaches out and holds her hand again.Telangana Congress MLA Malreddy Ranga Reddy accused of inappropriate behavious.Hyderabad,Oct 8, 2026 12:16 ISTA political row has erupted in Telangana after a video showing Congress MLA Malreddy Ranga Reddy interacting with two girl students on a moving bus and holding the hand of one of them went viral. The footage has triggered sharp reactions from the Opposition, with the BJP and BRS accusing the legislator of inappropriately touching the student.Ranga Reddy, 70, the Ibrahimpatnam MLA, is seen in the video speaking to two girl students while travelling on a state-run bus under the Congress government's 'Mahalakshmi' free bus scheme for women.At one point, he is seen holding one of the girls' hands and appearing to pull her closer, but she moves away. He then reaches out and holds her hand again.The video went viral, prompting the opposition parties to question the Congress legislator's behaviour. The BJP attacked the Congress MLA over the video, alleging that Ranga Reddy appeared to put his hand around a young woman's waist even as she visibly 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?” BJP leader Arun Yadav said on X.On his part, BRS leader RS Praveen Kumar questioned why Ranga Reddy held the girl's hand and allegedly touched her inappropriately, saying, “Is it not an offence? Is it not outraging the modesty of a woman?”He demanded that the Telangana State Women's Commission summon the MLA and, in a post on X, questioned the absence of women security personnel on the bus.He also urged the Telangana DGP to take a complaint from the RTC conductor and register a case, while accusing the BJP and Congress of “competing with each other in insulting women.”Ranga Reddy, however, rejected the allegations, saying he had spoken to the girl students with "fatherly affection" and that the BRS had twisted the interaction.In a video statement, the MLA said he boarded the bus after attending a meeting at the District Collector's office on Tuesday.He said he interacted with people from different sections during the journey, including some girl students who requested more buses because of the heavy passenger rush.Ranga Reddy said the video, which was recorded while the bus was taking a turn, was being wrongly interpreted by the BRS on social media. “I have immense respect for girls,” he added.- Ends