A Bakrid greeting posted by Telangana Congress MLA Kumbam Anil Kumar Reddy on social media, featuring a graphic image of a cow, has sparked a political row between the grand old party and the BJP. The image ignited controversy, with BJP leaders accusing the Congress of insulting Hindus. Reddy, however, quickly removed the post and apologized for the “inadvertent error”, stating that the image was supposed to be a goat. “The post was supposed to have the image of a goat. It has now been removed from my social media platforms,” Reddy said, as quoted by newswire PTI. He further clarified his stance, saying, “I am a Ram bhakt. I have always followed traditions. The poster was removed soon after the error was found out. If anyone is hurt, we apologize for it. I have asked my social media team to thoroughly look into this matter.”
Despite the apology, BJP MLA Raja Singh continued to fuel the controversy, alleging that Hindus are insulted wherever Congress forms the government. He questioned the MLA’s intent, asking, “While there is nothing objectionable about greeting people on the occasion of Bakrid, what message does the MLA want to convey? Why is Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy silent on the matter?”
Adding to the tensions, a clash between two communities over the alleged illegal transport of cows erupted in the Medhak district of Telangana on Saturday. The incident led to the enforcement of Section 144 near Ramdas Chowrasta, restricting gatherings of four or more people. The scuffle broke out after leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) halted the transportation of cows. Instead of filing a complaint, they chose to stage a protest, prompting the Hyderabad Police to beef up security arrangements for the Eid al-Adha celebrations on Monday.
