A video of Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s brother Tirupati Reddy arriving for a school function in a convoy led by a police car and being welcomed with a marching band and a parade has gone viral, igniting controversy and attracting barbs from opposition parties BRS and BJP. Tirupati Reddy holds no official position in the state.
The video, from the state’s Vikarabad district, shows the convoy pulling up near the school and Mr Reddy being handed a bouquet of flowers as he exits a black SUV. Students are lined up on either side of the road and a band marches towards the chief minister’s brother. Mr Reddy is then welcomed by one of the students leading a mini parade.
Taking to X on Friday, BRS working president KT Rama Rao took a veiled dig at Revanth Reddy and his brothers and said Telangana has got half a dozen chief ministers after the Congress came to power, even though it elected only one.
Continuing in a sarcastic vein, Mr Rao said, “My wishes to Vikarabad chief minister Tirupati Reddy.”
Tamil Nadu BJP Spokesperson NV Subhash said Tirupati Reddy enjoys privileges like a police convoy even though he is not an MP, MLA or even a corporator. The Vikarabad District Collector, Mr Subhash alleged was acting like Mr Reddy’s “personal bodyguard” during the school event.
Congress Spokesperson Sama Rammohan Reddy told news agency PTI that it is for a school’s management to decide who it wants to invite for its events and how it wants to welcome the person.
He also alleged that family members of the then Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao violated rules and protocols several times during the party’s nearly decade-long rule in the state.