Frustrated over the attempts to malign him, Venkat Reddy even dragged the chief minister's name, saying there were reports of Revanth Reddy riding a motorcycle to visit a woman at an unearthly hour.
Published Jan 11, 2026 | 12:33 AM ⚊ Updated Jan 11, 2026 | 12:33 AM
File photo of Komatireddy Venkat Reddy. (Supplied)
Synopsis: Komatireddy Venkat Reddy called for an immediate inquiry into the origins of the ‘unsubstantiated’ claims and warned that those responsible would face divine justice. The minister reiterated that he had no interest in pursuing such matters further and instead would focus on his duties. He further called on the media to prioritise ethics over ratings.
An emotional outburst by the Minister for Roads and Buildings in Telangana, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy laid bare the widening gap between Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and his Cabinet colleague.
Venkat Reddy, who also holds the Cinematography portfolio, turned emotional after a television news channel reported that he had been harassing a woman IAS officer by asking her out. The report added that the issue had reached the Congress high command.
Venting his anguish in public on Saturday, 10 January, the minister minced no words in condemning the ‘smear campaign’ against him.
A section within the Congress felt that the report against Venkat Reddy was a ‘hit-job’ carried out with the tacit approval of people at the highest level of the ruling party.
Visibly frustrated over the attempts to malign him, Venkat Reddy even dragged the chief minister’s name, saying there were reports of Revanth Reddy riding a motorcycle to visit a woman at an unearthly hour.
He recalled the publication of reports and photographs claiming Revanth Reddy had visited the woman’s residence at 2 am. He also referred to allegations of a woman exerting undue influence on the Chief Minister’s Office. However, the minister termed the reports instances of deplorable media practices.
Venkat Reddy’s outburst came amidst the Telangana IAS Officers’ Associations condemning a vernacular news channel for airing defamatory content against women officers. It demanded an unconditional apology and removal of the material.
“I have become half-dead since my son’s death. Please do not kill me mentally,” a visibly shaken Venkat Reddy pleaded with the media.
“If I had committed anything wrong, God would punish me, but I have not committed anything wrong. I have faith in God,” he stated. “If you want to create problems, why don’t you give some poison and kill me?”
The minister clarified that since he assumed office, the Nalgonda district has had four collectors, all of whom were transferred at the chief minister’s discretion.
“Transfers are in the hands of the chief minister. I have no role in them, and district ministers are not consulted,” he said while distancing himself from any perceived favouritism that might have fuelled the gossip.
The minister strongly condemned the targeting of officers, urging media houses to exercise restraint.
“How can IAS officers’ families bear the pain caused by such reports? In politics, attack and counter-attack are natural, but this crosses all limits,” he said.
Venkat Reddy called for an immediate inquiry into the origins of these unsubstantiated claims and warned that those responsible would face divine justice. The minister reiterated that he had no interest in pursuing such matters further and instead would focus on his duties. He further called on the media to prioritise ethics over ratings.
Though Venkat Reddy holds the Cinematography portfolio, he has not been involved in making the decision to increase the movie ticket fares. However, the Telangana government has approved a ticket-price hike for big-budget movies releasing this Sankranti, which raised the question: Who has been signing such orders?
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
