Telangana's Minister for Revenue and Housing, Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, on Thursday, 3 September launched a sharp counter-attack against Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K. T. Rama Rao after the opposition leader questioned the minister's family entry into the aerospace sector through Raghava Aerospace & Defence. The exchange, conducted publicly on X, marks one of the most pointed verbal confrontations between the ruling Congress government and the BRS since the change of power in Telangana.

How the Clash Began

K. T. Rama Rao (KTR) opened the salvo by linking the aerospace venture to an earlier business foray by the family of Chief Minister Anumula Revanth Reddy's brother. 'After CM Anumula brother's aerospace & defence foray, now the Revenue Minister Ponguleti family has entered the aerospace industry. I guess these are the two brilliant companies that will provide the 2 lakh jobs promised by Rahul Gandhi,' KTR posted on X. He followed up with a taunt directed at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, sarcastically suggesting the minister's families share a 'Get Richie rich quick' scheme with the country's youth.

Ponguleti's Counter-Attack

Srinivasa Reddy responded with a pointed post labelling the BRS leader's family record as a 'Kalvakuntla Academy of Corruption.' 'All illegal activities are taught here. Professor: KTR — King of Teaching Robbery. Corruption College Location: Erravelli Farm House,' he wrote on X. The minister then catalogued a series of allegations against KTR and his family, including purported links to paper leaks through Globarena — which he connected to student suicides in Telangana — and alleged involvement in the NEET paper leak controversy.

Key Allegations Traded

Srinivasa Reddy further alleged that KTR had ordered phone surveillance on his own sister and brother-in-law, misused the Dharani land portal to acquire properties, and ran hospital businesses while serving as Health Minister — a charge he directed partly at KTR's brother-in-law, former minister T. Harish Rao. He also alleged that the BRS had grown party funds from ₹20 crore to ₹1,600 crore and accused the leadership of accumulating assets — from 'rubber slippers to a farmhouse empire' — through public money. None of these allegations have been independently verified, and BRS has not issued a formal response to each specific charge.

Ponguleti Defends His Business Record

Turning to his own background, the minister said he had been in business for 30 years before entering politics, building enterprises from a modest start, generating employment, and accumulating wealth legitimately. 'Yet, honest business seems to be a problem for you. For you, hard work is questionable, legitimate business is suspicious, but corruption, illegal wealth, and the misuse of power are somehow acceptable,' Srinivasa Reddy said in his post.

What This Signals

The episode reflects an intensifying political war of words between the Congress-led Telangana government and the BRS, which governed the state for a decade before its 2023 electoral defeat. Both sides have increasingly used X as a primary arena for political combat, with each accusing the other of cronyism and misuse of office. The dispute over business ventures linked to political families is likely to remain a contested narrative as the state approaches its next electoral cycle.