Mallanna, a BC leader, frequently targets Reddy leaders in the Congress party, while championing BC issues, causing friction within the party
Published Feb 05, 2025 | 9:52 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 05, 2025 | 9:52 PM
Teenmaar Mallanna. (Facebook)
Synopsis: Telangana Congress MLC Teenmaar Mallanna (Ch Naveen) is under scrutiny after criticizing the caste census in the legislative council on 4 February. The TPCC plans to issue him a show-cause notice for burning the census report and his frequent attacks on party leaders, particularly targeting Reddy leaders while advocating for BCs. His remarks left party leaders, including Revanth Reddy, embarrassed
Telangana Congress MLC Teenmaar Mallanna, alias Ch Naveen, is facing heat from the Telangana Congress Committee after he hauled the government over the coals while speaking on the caste census in the legislative council on Tuesday, 4 February.
The TPCC is understood to have decided to issue a show-cause notice to him for his intemperate remarks and also for burning the statement on the caste census that was introduced in both houses of the Telangana legislature.
TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud, in response to a question at a news conference on Wednesday, 5 February, said that everyone in the party should follow a code of discipline and should not cross limits. He maintained that there were no discrepancies in the caste census report and questioned which statistics Mallanna was comparing it to, in order to conclude that it was full of discrepancies and distortions.
Panchayat Raj Minister Sitakka, alias Danasari Anasuya, also wondered whether Mallanna knew which party he belonged to and questioned why he was being so irresponsible. She said that she and several other Congress leaders had worked hard for his election to the council.
Mallanna, a BC leader, has become a pain in the neck for the party with his penchant for targeting leaders of his own party quite often. He frequently targets Reddy leaders within the party while espousing the cause of the BCs.
Revanth Reddy went through embarrassing moments in the Assembly on Tuesday, 4 February, when BRS leader KT Rama Rao referred to the legislator setting fire to the census report, leaving him with no immediate reply.
Mallanna criticised the caste survey, saying that there were too many discrepancies and that the BCs were shown as fewer than their actual numbers, while the OCs were shown as more. He suspected this was part of a grand design by the Reddys to maintain their upper hand over the BCs.
He alleged that the data was manipulated to protect the reservations of economically weaker sections (EWS) while reducing the reservation of Backward Classes.
Mallanna recently accused the Congress party of neglecting BCs and declared that Revanth Reddy would be the last OC chief minister of Telangana. He also made derogatory comments about the Reddy community, which have been widely condemned.
Mallanna’s actions drew a sharp reaction from Congress leaders. Bhongir Congress MLA K Anil Kumar Reddy accused him of crossing his limits and felt that the party leadership would take appropriate action. He said that Congress leaders of all castes had worked for Mallanna’s victory in the MLC elections and slammed him for targeting the Reddy community.
Mallanna, however, remained nonplussed in the wake of the reports that a show-cause notice was being issued against him by the party leadership. He shot back, asking: “Who are they to issue show-cause notices to me? They can’t bully me in this fashion.”
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
