Hyderabad: BRS senior leader T. Harish Rao on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the Congress-led Telangana government, alleging that cinema ticket rates were hiked without transparency or ministerial oversight. He said Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy appears helpless and unaware of decisions taken by his own government.
“One day he claims he’s the IT and Civil Aviation Minister. Now he says he has nothing to do with cinema,” Harish Rao remarked. He accused Chief Minister Revanth Reddy of using the Cinematography Department to serve political interests while bypassing the designated minister.
‘Policy or revenge?’ Harish Rao slams ticket hike and selective permissions
Harish Rao asked why ticket rate hike decisions were taken without the knowledge of the concerned minister. “If the minister is out of the loop, who is really running this government?” he questioned. He further alleged the presence of an invisible, unconstitutional force influencing film-related decisions.
He criticised the government for favouring certain films while delaying others. “One film gets royal treatment two days in advance, another doesn’t get permission till midnight. Is this how you treat an industry that has brought India global recognition?” he said.
Rao accused the government of showing bias against actors who supported KCR and favouring those aligned with Congress. “A hero forgets your name and lands in jail. Another praises KCR and faces delays. But if you like someone, you allow ₹600 ticket rates?” he asked.
He warned that using the film industry for petty politics was disgraceful. “Is the cinema sector your policy lab or a battleground for settling scores?” he asked. Rao demanded a full-scale probe into the commission deals behind the ticket pricing decisions and urged the Governor to intervene.
He said the BRS government treated the film industry with respect, which helped Telugu cinema reach Oscar-level recognition. “The sector has thrived for 60 years. Don’t destroy it with arrogance and political vendetta,” he cautioned.