Ponnam-Adluri tiff defused in presence of TPCC chief

Hyderabad: The rift between Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar and Adluri Laxman Kumar has been resolved following a reconciliatory meeting organised by TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud at his residence on Wednesday.

Transport Minister Prabhakar offered an apology to his Cabinet counterpart Laxman Kumar for making disparaging comments. The meeting was prompted by escalating tensions after an incident where Prabhakar allegedly referred to Laxman as a “buffalo,” inadvertently igniting controversy.

The comment was reportedly made during a recent party gathering, unaware that his microphone was live. In response, Laxman called for an apology, while Prabhakar initially refuted making the remarks directly to him. This conflict coincided with the announcement of the Jubilee Hills by-election, leading AICC in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan to direct state leaders to resolve the issue swiftly.

“I extend my sincere apologies for the distress that Laxman has endured,” Ponnam Prabhakar told the media, standing alongside Minister Laxman Kumar, TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud, and other party leaders. “It is important to note that the Congress party stands as a leader in the pursuit of social justice. Having been raised within the Congress party, I hold no malicious intent. While I did not explicitly state this before, I genuinely regret the pain he has experienced as reported in the media.

Those thoughts do not align with my beliefs, as I was not brought up in that mindset. The Congress party has not instilled that kind of culture in me.”

Minister Adluri Laxman stated, “The Congress party supports the lower social classes. As the representative, I was honoured to serve as a minister. I remain loyal to my party and hold Ponnam Prabhakar in high regard. However, my Madiga community was affected by Ponnam’s remarks. This issue has been addressed with his apology.”