Daijiworld Media Network - Hyderabad
Hyderabad, Oct 8: Telangana Backward Classes Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar has expressed regret over the controversy sparked by his remarks on cabinet colleague Scheduled Caste Welfare Minister Adluri Laxman Kumar. The comments, captured by a live microphone during a public event, had stirred a political and social row.
In a statement issued late yesterday, Prabhakar clarified that Kumar is “like a brother” to him. He emphasized their 30-year-long friendship in the Congress party, saying, “Our bond and mutual respect go beyond politics. No one can separate us.”
Prabhakar asserted that he had not made any personal comments against Kumar and, as a leader from the grassroots and belonging to the Backward Classes, would never hold such opinions about anyone. He added, “However, with political malice, some people distorted my comments and campaigned contrary to the truth. I am deeply saddened that these misunderstandings hurt the feelings of a person like an elder brother, Adluri Laxman Kumar.”
He further expressed regret, stating, “I regret if Adluri Laxman Kumar’s feelings have been hurt. We both will work together to strengthen the principles of the Congress party, achieve social justice under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, and strive for the welfare of the people.”
The controversy originated during a press meet in Jubilee Hills on November 11, when Prabhakar, waiting for Kumar, reportedly got annoyed at the delay. Speaking to another minister, he referred to Kumar as “buffalo” (Dhunnapothu in Telugu). The remark was inadvertently captured by live microphones used for media broadcasting.
Kumar, from the Scheduled Caste Madiga community, released an emotional video statement expressing deep anguish over the remark. He described it as a casteist insult that shamed both him and his community, demanding a public apology and warning that he would escalate the matter to the Congress high command—including party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi—if an apology was not forthcoming.
The public spat between the two senior ministers, both influential leaders from Karimnagar district, caused significant political turmoil just ahead of the local body polls and the Jubilee Hills by-election, highlighting sensitivities around intra-party relations and caste dynamics in Telangana politics.