Telangana govt reinstates RTC driver removed over criticism of Congress party

Hyderabad: The Telangana Congress government ordered the reinstatement of a hired RTC bus driver from Jagtial after a social media row over his removal, with Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar stepping in to reverse the decision and transfer the depot manager who issued the order.

The incident began on May 25 during a protest organised by Congress leaders, including state Welfare Minister Adluri Laxman Kumar, at Jagtial town. Ashok, a hired driver operating an RTC bus, publicly urged the ruling party to focus on procuring paddy and maize rather than holding protests over fuel price hikes. A video of his remarks, along with an alleged notice from an RTC depot manager asking for his removal, went viral on social media and drew sharp reactions from the opposition.

BRS MLA T Harish Rao demanded that the action be reversed, calling it a reflection of a dictatorial attitude. State BJP president N Ramchander Rao accused the Congress dispensation of mirroring Indira Gandhi’s conduct during the Emergency era.

Minister Prabhakar ordered Ashok’s reinstatement and clarified that he was only a hired driver and not a regular RTC employee. He also directed that the depot manager who issued the removal letter be transferred to another depot.

“Based on the complaint given by our Congress leader there, local officials hastily issued a removal letter, even though what he did wasn’t a big mistake,” Prabhakar said, adding that he had instructed that no action be taken against the driver. The RTC management was similarly directed not to proceed against Ashok.