BRS leader Rama Rao appears before Women's Commission, expresses regret over remarks on women

Hyderabad: BRS working president K T Rama Rao on Saturday appeared before the Telangana State Women's Commission here and expressed regret and apologised for his comments about women travelling in state-run RTC buses.

Rao, while speaking on the Congress government's scheme of free travel for women in state-run RTC buses, had said his party would have no objection if women took up activities like knitting while travelling in the buses.

Why should the BRS object if women or entire families do work like knitting or "break dance" in buses but his party wants the situation of scuffles breaking out in buses to be avoided, he said, while speaking at an event here recently.

After his comments came in for sharp criticism from various groups, the BRS leader said he never had the intention to offend "sisters." The Telangana Women’s Commission had earlier issued summons to Rao in response to the "derogatory" comments.

The BRS leader appeared before the Commission today and provided an explanation for his statements, an official release said.

During the proceedings, Rao expressed regret and formally apologised for the comments, it said.

He acknowledged that such statements were inappropriate and should not have been made by someone holding a leadership position of his stature, it said.

The Commission, while accepting his apology, issued clear instructions to the BRS leader to refrain from making any such remarks in the future.

The Commission has also informed Rao that any recurrence of such incidents may result in further proceedings as deemed appropriate by the panel, the release added.

When Rao appeared before the panel, mild tension prevailed outside the Commission's office with members of Telangana Women Congress workers staging a dharna demanding that the BRS leader should publicly apologise for his "insulting" remarks on women.

However, BRS women leaders, who accompanied Rao claimed the women activists of the Congress allegedly attacked them near the Commission's office and sought the panel to take necessary action in this regard.