Hyderabad: Women workers of Congress tried to prevent Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) from entering the Telangana state women’s commission at Buddha Bhavan on Saturday, August 24, leading to chaos as they clashed with BRS women party workers.
The incident occurred as KTR arrived at the office with Congress workers protesting in front of his vehicle. The Mahila Congress demanded an apology from him for his alleged derogatory remarks against women.
“He has insulted all women and now he has come to the women’s commission. We will not leave him if he doesn’t apologise,” said Sunitha Rao, the state president of Mahila Congress.
“He said it on X, so by saying it on X, is the matter finished?” added Rao.
KTR, while speaking on the Congress government’s scheme of free travel for women in state-run RTC buses, had said his party would have no objection if women took up activities like knitting while travelling in the buses.
Why should the BRS object if women or entire families do work like knitting or “break dance” in buses but his party wants the situation of scuffles breaking out in buses to be avoided, he said, while speaking at an event here recently.
I am sorry, says KTR
Speaking with media after appearing before the commission KTR said that he had already apologised for his remarks. “Immediately after I stated those words I apologised, and I told the Women’s Commission the same thing. Again, I told the Women’s Commission that I am sorry if anyone’s sentiments were hurt,” said the BRS working president.
He also condemned the alleged attacks by Congress workers on BRS women leaders, with him claiming his party members were attacked by nail cutters.
“In politics, there should be a culture where if someone has made a mistake they should have the courage to accept it and apologise. But attacking our party’s women representatives is not acceptable, and people have seen what they have done. Some women told me that Mahila Congress activists used small articles like nail cutters to attack them,” he said.
(With inputs from agencies)
