A political storm has erupted in the Telangana state cabinet headed by chief minister A Revanth Reddy over alleged derogatory comments made by state BC welfare minister Ponnam Prabhakar against fellow minister Adluri Laxman Kumar at a meeting on Monday.
According to reports, during a joint media interaction at Rehmat Nagar, Ponnam lost his temper as Laxman arrived late.
Believing his microphone was off, Ponnam whispered to another minister, Vivek Venkataswamy, saying: “We know our time and our life, but what does that buffalo know?”
However, the microphones were live, and his comment was captured and circulated on social media, quickly going viral.
Dalit organizations reacted sharply, accusing Ponnam of insulting a Dalit minister and demanding his removal from the Cabinet.
“How can he call a Dalit colleague a buffalo?” they asked.
In response, Minister Adluri Laxman Kumar broke his silence, saying: “If Ponnam accepts his mistake and apologizes, it will bring him respect. But if he continues to justify his words, I’ll leave it to his own wisdom.”
He also questioned whether Minister Vivek Venkataswamy, who was present during the remark, would remain a silent spectator.
Laxman has reportedly decided to file a complaint with the AICC against Ponnam’s behaviour.
