Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, the Cinematography and Roads & Buildings Minister of Telangana state, is now appearing far too weak, which is difficult to comprehend.
Once upon a time, he was a powerful leader from Nalgonda who earned a good name in the region during Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s tenure. He was also a strong mass leader.
However, his life took a tragic turn after the death of his son, an unfathomable personal loss. Even after that, he continued with the Congress party and eventually became a minister in Revanth Reddy’s government.
Recently, however, he has been facing allegations of an illegal relationship, which he strongly condemned during a press meet today.
In the process, he used statements like “kill me with poison,” which reflect weakness and poor decorum. Instead, he should have firmly said that he would fight these allegations legally.
The point is that he is not in the opposition. He is a ruling party minister. He must project strength, or else he risks belittling his own followers.
Apart from this, a serious question arises. As a minister, is he really being given the authority to perform his duties?
In the matter of the GO permitting a hike in ticket prices for The Raja Saab, he stated, “I stopped involving myself in matters related to the cinema industry. I had already stated in the Assembly during the Pushpa 2 issue that no further ticket price hikes would be allowed by my ministry for any film. I also made it clear that I should not be approached at all. No producer approached me after that. Whether it was a film released some time ago, a film released two days back, or films that are yet to be released, no producer approached me. No file was submitted to me, and no file came to me for approval or signature.”
This is really shocking. Then who is behind all these GOs? A Minister saying that he is not bothering about an industry which is his portfolio is a serious concern. If this is the case, then why should he continue in the ministry?
He could very well resign from his position, citing these reasons. Sitting in a chair that does not grant him the authority to exercise his duties is meaningless.
Continuing in the post while facing multiple allegations from the film industry and fans, who question why Prabhas’s film was not given permission on time while Chiranjeevi’s film was, only worsens the situation.
Another irony surrounding Komatireddy Venkat Reddy is his unnecessary statement a few days ago that tollgate waivers would be granted for travelers between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana during the Sankranthi festival season for about ten days.
He claimed that he had appealed to the central government regarding this issue. However, this impractical announcement did not materialize.
Now, people are trolling him, pointing out that a minister who is not even powerful enough to handle GOs related to film ticket hikes spoke about tollgate waivers and failed to accomplish that as well. This has led many to label him a failure as the Minister for Roads and Buildings too.
Overall, this once strong leader now appears weak, powerless, vulnerable to allegations, and volatile in his reactions. These signs are eroding his image and ultimately rendering his political presence increasingly meaningless.
Usha Chowdhary