Engineering graduates are criminal wastes: Revanth Reddy sparks row

At a Hyderabad event, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy flagged poor employability among engineering graduates. His use of the phrase "criminal waste" sparked a sharp clash with the BRS and BJP.Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy (Photo: X/@evanth_anumula)Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday expressed concern over the employability of engineering graduates, but his use of the phrase "criminal waste" while making that point triggered a sharp political row, with the opposition BRS and the BJP accusing him of insulting students.Speaking at an event in Hyderabad, Reddy said education and skill development were like two eyes for him. Referring to the large number of engineering students passing out every year, he said 1.10 lakh engineering graduates complete their course in the state, but many of them are unable to write even a job application."You (teachers) give a plain paper to them (engineering graduates) and tell them to write a job application. Criminal waste. He won't apply for a small job because he studied engineering. He does not learn skills," Reddy said. He later clarified that he was not blaming the graduates, but the education system.The BRS and the BJP said the chief minister had insulted engineering graduates and their abilities. BRS Working President K T Rama Rao asked what qualifications Reddy had to make such a remark. "Did he ever write any competitive exam in his entire life? Did he ever appear for an interview for a job? Did he ever work anywhere in a professional environment," Rama Rao said in a post on X. In a statement, state BJP Chief Spokesperson N V Subhash claimed that while top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi referred to students as "idiots", his "protege" Revanth Reddy had gone a step further by calling engineering students "criminal waste". Calling engineers the "backbone of our country", he said the Congress had committed a grave sin by insulting them. "Will the self-proclaimed Gen Z activists speak up now, or does their outrage surface only when they receive instructions from their political masters," he asked.Subhash also referred to an earlier controversy and said the "cockroach" remark was neither made by a BJP leader nor by anyone in the Modi government, but that the CJP turned it into a political controversy, leading to protests, vandalism, attacks on police personnel and abusive slogans against the Prime Minister. "Will the cockroach gang now raise its voice against Revanth Reddy's insulting remarks or will its conscience and self-respect remain conveniently silent," he asked. Meanwhile, Congress Lok Sabha member Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy hit back at Rama Rao, saying the BRS leader had entered politics through a "political legacy" and had not risen through the grassroots. "Revanth Reddy is a self-made leader who rose step by step-from ZPTC member to MLC, MLA, MP, and now chief minister," he said. The MP added that history was filled with the achievements of leaders like Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill, whose influence came from leadership and determination "and not academic degrees or family privilege". He said grassroots leaders understand the aspirations of the people far better than those who arrive by parachute into politics.The controversy, triggered by Revanth Reddy's remarks on the quality of education and skills among engineering graduates, quickly drew strong reactions from the BRS and the BJP, while Congress leaders defended the chief minister and turned the attack back on the opposition.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Jul 30, 2026 23:56 IST