Kumbam Anil Kumar Reddy
Credit: X/@KumbamAnilOffl
Hyderabad: A ruling Congress MLA in Telangana on Monday landed in a controversy after his Bakrid greetings on social media included a graphic image of a cow, drawing sharp response from the BJP.
The Congress legislator, Kumbam Anil Kumar Reddy, later apologised for the "inadvertent error", even as the post was removed from all related social media accounts.
The poster was supposed to have the image of a goat and it has now been removed from social media platforms, he said.
BJP MLA Raja Singh, taking exception to the image of a cow in Reddy's Bakrid greetings, alleged Hindus are insulted wherever Congress forms government.
While there is nothing objectionable about greeting people on the occasion of Bakrid, what message does the MLA want to convey, Raja Singh, known for his strong Hindutva views, asked.
Why is Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy silent on the matter, he asked.
Anil Kumar Reddy, in a video release later, said he is a 'Ram bhakt' and that he has always followed traditions.
He said the poster was removed soon after the error was found out.
"If anyone is hurt, we apologise for it. Because, I am a Ram Bhakt," he said.
Reddy said he has asked his social media team to thoroughly check before posting and that who posted the said poster (for him) is also being looked into.