Sircilla Constituency Congress party in-charge KK Mahender Reddy has found himself at the centre of controversy after allegedly threatening a reporter who exposed the grim reality faced by weavers in the region. The video, showcasing a weaver compelled to sell papads due to lack of opportunities, went viral on social media, prompting a heated conversation between Reddy and the concerned journalist.
The journalist shared a video posted in a whatsapp group of the weavers. Reacting to this, Reddy made derogatory comments asking the journalist how many weavers are selling papads and how many are selling condoms in Sircilla. He also made a disparaging comment that Siricilla weavers ate a lot of money with Bathukamma sarees in the BRS regime.
Reddy’s remarks have drawn wide criticism for his accusations regarding the livelihoods of the Padmashali community. The incident has also shed light on the larger issue of economic distress faced by the Sircilla weavers due to lack of support from the Congress government.