HYDERABAD: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president B Mahesh Kumar Goud on Tuesday condemned “attempts to dilute the seriousness” of allegations involving a minor girl, asserting that crimes against women and children must be dealt with strictly as per law without any social or political interference.
He clarified that recent remarks made by Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar regarding the case were “his personal views and do not reflect the official stand of the Congress or the Telangana government”.
It may be mentioned here that Prabhakar had suggested that “as elders of the community, you may prefer to resolve the matter through a panchayat, decide on marriage or take any course of action you deem fit. However, if the girl is underage, it is up to you to decide how you deal with the legal provisions”.
Mahesh Goud, however, stressed that suggesting community-level settlements or marriage in such cases is “legally untenable and morally unacceptable.”
Referring to allegations linked to Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar’s son Bhageerath, the TPCC chief emphasised that the case involves a minor, and under the POCSO Act, consent cannot be legally recognised. He also rejected the narrative portraying the issue as a consensual relationship, stating that such claims undermine the gravity of the offence.
Mahesh Goud also criticised attempts to introduce caste or political angles into the case, asserting that neither the background of the accused nor the victim is relevant in matters concerning a minor’s protection. He accused the BJP of politicising a sensitive issue while calling for accountability and due legal process.