Hyderabad, May 27: The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) has terminated the employment of a private hire bus driver. The driver was accused of criticizing ruling Congress leaders who were protesting against rising petrol and diesel prices.
TSRTC issued a letter to the owner of the private hire bus (PHB), instructing the immediate removal of the driver from PHB services. The driver, Ashok, made comments while traveling from Jagtiyal to Dharmapuri, targeting Congress leaders participating in a protest on the road in Jagtiyal.
Reports indicate that he advised the protesters to focus on purchasing crops from farmers instead. State Minister Adluri Lakshman and Congress MLAs were also present at the protest.
The Jagtiyal depot manager informed PHB owner Chukka Venu Gopal that Congress’s Dharmapuri division president, C. Lakshman, had complained about Ashok’s remarks regarding the leaders who were staging a sit-in outside the RDO office in Warangal.
In an interview with local media, Ashok clarified that he was speaking to someone from his village who was part of the protest. He stated that he suggested they should prioritize buying cotton and maize from farmers rather than discussing fuel prices.
He denied criticizing any political party or leader, asserting that his comments were solely about farmers.
Opposition parties have condemned the government’s decision to dismiss the driver. They described it as shameful that Ashok lost his job simply for suggesting the government should promptly purchase the maize and cotton crops stuck in warehouses.
They demanded his immediate reinstatement, stating that this authoritarian attitude of firing individuals for asking questions must end.
Leaders from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and former minister T. Harish Rao strongly criticized the action taken against the driver. Harish Rao emphasized that although Ashok is a driver, he comes from a farming family, which is why he urged leaders to buy farmers’ crops. He insisted that Ashok has no political affiliations and called for his reinstatement, pledging legal support for Ashok’s family.
K. Kavitha, a leader from the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), remarked that Congress, which once delivered grand speeches about democracy while in opposition, is now undermining it after coming to power. She noted that the RTC driver, who suggested that ministers and Congress MLAs purchase the crops grown with great effort by farmers, has been removed from duty.
She stated, “Restoring democracy is our seventh guarantee. Does a people’s government mean taking away livelihoods from those who raise questions? This is why we label it a toxic government. RTC driver Ashok should be reinstated. Farmers struggling to sell their crops need assistance.”
She warned that if the driver is not reinstated, her party, TRS, would stage protests.
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