Hyderabad: Minister Konda Surekha has asked for an apology from the BRS leadership after she was targeted on social media. The posts came after an event where Medak MP Raghunandan Rao, from the BJP, garlanded her. Surekha believes the posts were shared by BRS supporters and were meant to insult her. The Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) also expressed concern and warned the BRS party about possible consequences.
Some Congress leaders were very upset by the social media posts. In protest, they tried to storm Telangana Bhavan, the BRS state office, and even attempted to burn an effigy. This led to verbal arguments between Congress and BRS leaders. The situation was eventually brought under control, and the Congress leaders were asked to leave.
Konda Surekha explained that she felt deeply hurt and disturbed by the trolling. The incident occurred after she attended an event in Dubbaka, where Medak MP Raghunandan Rao garlanded her with cotton threads in the colors of the national flag. This image was shared online with a message she found offensive. At a press conference, she blamed BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) for the trolling, suggesting that she was targeted because she is a woman. She also pointed out that the BRS party has a history of not including women in its cabinet. Surekha questioned whether KTR would tolerate similar treatment towards his sister, MLC Kavitha.
Later, PCC president B. Mahesh Kumar Goud strongly condemned the social media attacks. He stated that the Padmashali community, to which Surekha belongs, was also hurt by the posts. Goud demanded that the BRS leadership apologize, saying that if he were in KTR’s place, he would have done so. He also noted that, in the past, the Congress party was careful not to cross any lines during Kavitha’s case.
Women and Child Welfare Minister Seethakka also came to Surekha’s defense. She referred to a past comment made by KTR about women using free bus services, saying that it showed the mindset of BRS leaders. She also recalled how photos of her and Minister Ponnam Prabhakar had been altered in the past to push certain narratives.
