Telangana MLA Malreddy Ranga Reddy faces controversy over viral bus video

Malreddy Ranga Reddy, the Congress MLA for Ibrahimpatnam in Telangana, is facing intense political scrutiny following the viral spread of a video showing him interacting with a female college student on a state-run bus.

The incident occurred during an inspection of the ‘Mahalakshmi’ free bus scheme for women. Footage shows the 70-year-old politician repeatedly reaching out to touch and hold the student’s hand and arm while she appeared to show visible discomfort and attempted to pull away.

Opposition parties, including the BJP and BRS, have condemned the conduct. The BJP accused the Congress party of hypocrisy regarding its stance on patriarchy, while BRS leader RS Praveen Kumar called for the Telangana State Women's Commission to summon the MLA and urged police to register a case.

Ranga Reddy has denied any wrongdoing, stating that his interactions with the students were conducted with “fatherly affection” and that the opposition has twisted the footage on social media.