Published Jul 26, 2026 | 7:47 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 26, 2026 | 7:47 PM
Telangana BJP MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy.
Synopsis: Telangana BJP MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy has sparked controversy after defending the police crackdown on student protesters in New Delhi and claiming the demonstrations were led by “anti-national elements” and “local goons” rather than NEET candidates. He also defended the Modi government’s handling of the protests and alleged that the demonstrations were funded by foreign interests seeking to destabilise the government.
Telangana BJP MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy has come under fire after a video of him claiming that the student protests in New Delhi had been infiltrated by “anti-national elements” and were led not by NEET candidates but by “local goons” went viral.
Speaking to reporters at the Roads and Buildings Department’s guest house in Vikarabad on Saturday, 25 July, following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Reddy claimed that the protesters had been misled by misinformation spread by foreign interests on social media platforms.
He also defended the police’s use of force against the protesters, claiming it was restrained.
“Yes, police resorted to lathi charge. But other countries take a far harsher stance to such situations. If it was America, which is also a democracy, they would have shot (the protesters),” he said.
The Chevella MP was the richest BJP candidate to contest the 2024 general election. He is married to Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director of Apollo Hospitals and daughter of its founder, PC Reddy.
His comments have drawn swift backlash online, with netizens questioning how a public representative could publicly endorse lethal force against protesting students.
Neither Reddy nor the BJP leadership has issued an official statement.
Telangana BJP MP defends police action against students in Delhi, says the USA would have shot the protesters instead
Chevella BJP MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy has come under fire after a video of him making controversial remarks about police action against student… pic.twitter.com/4j1YW0hcDT
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) July 26, 2026
Also Read: Jantar Mantar protests and restoring trust in India’s education system
Reddy defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s handling of the crisis, saying the Union government had acted in good faith by halting the results as soon as the paper leak came to light.
Pradhan was forced to tender his resignation on Saturday, a month after the protests first began. His resignation is being seen as a major victory for a public movement against a government often criticised for being averse to taking accountability.
Reddy, however, defended Pradhan, arguing that his resignation did not automatically imply any wrongdoing on his part. He said Pradhan had made significant contributions to improving medical education in the country during his tenure as Union Education Minister.
Reddy also claimed that students were lathi-charged because they had crossed police barricades while attempting to march towards Parliament.
He further alleged that the movement was being financed from abroad and by wealthy backers, and that its real objective was to destabilise the Modi government rather than address irregularities in the examination.
Reddy also accused Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi of injecting politics into a student issue. Pointing to paper leaks in Congress-ruled states, he suggested that the party had no moral standing to criticise the Union government over the issue.
Notably, Reddy himself was a member of the Congress from 2018 to 2021 and served as a Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MP between 2014 and 2018.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
