A significant political controversy has flared up in Telangana. During a recent bye-election campaign event in Jubilee Hills on October 5, 2025, Backward Classes (BC) Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar allegedly referred to his cabinet colleague, Scheduled Caste (SC) Welfare Minister Adluri Laxman Kumar, as a ‘buffalo’. This disparaging remark, reportedly made while discussing punctuality, has ignited a major caste row.
The controversial comment quickly spread across social media. It occurred as Minister Prabhakar prepared for a press conference with Minister G. Vivek. The delay in Minister Laxman Kumar’s arrival reportedly irritated Mr. Prabhakar. A video shows him whispering to Mr. Vivek about the importance of time, stating, “He is a buffalo, what does he know about it?” He was then seen conversing with senior leader Mohd Fahim.
Television channels, setting up for a live broadcast of the press conference, captured the audio. This recording swiftly circulated on social media, drawing widespread criticism and accusing Mr. Prabhakar of showing blatant disrespect towards his Cabinet colleague. Although the video clip does not explicitly name Mr. Laxman Kumar, it is widely presumed that the ‘buffalo’ remark was directed at him, a prominent Dalit leader.
As the video gained viral traction, opposition leaders from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) quickly amplified the issue, publicly questioning Minister Prabhakar’s conduct. In response, Mr. Laxman Kumar released his own video, conveying deep distress over the alleged insult and demanding an immediate public apology from Mr. Prabhakar.
“He is free to criticize me as Laxman Kumar, but attacking my caste is unacceptable,” stated Mr. Laxman Kumar. “I belong to the Madiga caste, and he must apologize immediately.” He further warned that he would escalate the matter to the party’s top leadership, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge. “Had his criticism been about my performance, I would have accepted it. However, his comment specifically targeted my community,” he clarified in his statement.
Ponnam Prabhakar Alleges Video Manipulation
Meanwhile, Mr. Prabhakar, a leader from the Backward Class, vehemently denied the accusations. He asserted that the video had been “manipulated” and his remarks were deliberately taken out of context. “I absolutely did not use any caste-based derogatory terms. My comments were purely about maintaining punctuality, not directed at any individual,” he declared in his statement, also accusing the Opposition of attempting to sow discord within the Congress party.
As this sensitive issue escalated between the two Cabinet colleagues, sources revealed that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy intervened, holding a meeting with both ministers to de-escalate the rising tensions. Following this, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president B. Mahesh Kumar Goud also conversed with the leaders, advising them to exercise restraint. The State Congress chief subsequently declared that the matter had been resolved.
Both ministers are influential figures from the Karimnagar district, commanding support within the Backward Classes and Scheduled Caste communities, respectively. This controversy arrives at a particularly critical juncture for the Congress party, as it prepares for the upcoming Jubilee Hills by-election and the significant rural local body polls.