A video featuring Telangana Congress MLA Malreddy Ranga Reddy in the video of him repeatedly touching a female college student during a state transport bus discussion has raised eyebrows.
Ranga Reddy, Congress MLA from Ibrahimpatnam, was travelling on a Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) bus on October 6 and spoke with passengers on the state government's Mahalakshmi free travel scheme for women, girls and transgender persons. Social media quickly picked up on the video and the MLA’s conduct attracted criticism.
The footage has also attracted attention because the student appears uncomfortable during parts of the interaction and seems to pull away while the MLA is holding or touching her hand and arm. Some reports also said the footage shows him placing his hand around her waist.
What happened on the bus?
According to reports, Ranga Reddy boarded a bus from Ibrahimpatnam to Yamjal to speak to beneficiaries of the Mahalakshmi scheme and understand how the free travel facility was helping them.
During the meeting, a college student told the MLA the scheme has substantially reduced her travel costs and saved her around 45,000 a year in commuting to college.
The video shows the MLA speaking with the student while making physical contact with her. He at one point holds her hand, while the student appears to move her hand away. There is also video of other footage that seems to show more physical contact around her waist.
The student’s body language has increasingly become a topic of discussion, and multiple reports said she seemed uncomfortable and tried to move away during the interaction.
The footage itself does not establish the MLA's intent, and the allegations should be distinguished from any finding by authorities.
Viral Video Sparks Criticism
The video has gained criticism from political figures, activists and social media users and much of the discussion centered on consent and personal boundaries.
Chinmayi Sripaada, the playback singer and activist, criticized the alleged behaviour and said that it did not require repeated physical contact. She said that a person’s discomfort should be respected, no matter how old or how much more advanced he or she is.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) general secretary RS Praveen Kumar also reacted to the video and asked for intervention by the Telangana Police’s SHE Teams and Women Safety Wing. He sought action over the alleged conduct.
Congress MLA Malreddy Ranga Reddy inappropriately touched the girls, making them uncomfortable. If they can do this in public, imagine what they would have been doing privately. https://t.co/rPbm4xcXDb
— Rishi Bagree (@rishibagree) October 7, 2026
The BRS has separately demanded action against the MLA, including suspension, following circulation of the video.
MLA's Response
Ranga Reddy defended the interaction and described it as “affectionate interaction” rather than inappropriate behaviour, reported The Times of India.
The response comes as criticism of the footage and questions over whether the physical contact was welcome have increased.
The incident has also raised for us the importance of boundaries with women when public representatives come in contact with them in public spaces. The video has definitely stirred up some opinions, but the facts would be determined on the basis of an official complaint and/or investigation.
As far as consent and public conduct is concerned, are they in general the same issue?
The issue has gotten way beyond the political and the central question is whether when the other person seems uncomfortable in public we should have physical contact.
The incident also emphasizes the need to distinguish what is visible in a viral video from conclusions about a person's intentions or actions outside the footage. Suggestions about what may have happened privately cannot be established from this video and should not be presented as fact without evidence.
The viral footage has placed the Ibrahimpatnam MLA under scrutiny and calls for action and further investigation of the incident are ongoing. A formal investigation or response from the relevant authorities would give more insight into the circumstances of the interaction.
