Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader T. Harish Rao on Sunday criticised the Revanth Reddy government over the movie ticket price hike issue, and wondered if a government existed in Telangana and, if so, who was in control.

Reacting to Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy’s statement that recent government orders approving movie ticket price hikes were issued without his knowledge or consent, the former minister remarked that a bigger suspense thriller is currently unfolding in the Telangana Secretariat than in the movie theatres.

Harish Rao took to ‘X’ to slam the government over the controversy in the wake of the High Court pulling up authorities for hiking ticket prices for Prabhas starrer ‘The Raja Saab’ and Chirajeevi starrer ‘Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu’.

“On one hand, a government order is released increasing ticket prices while on the other hand, the Cinematography Minister, who is responsible for that department, helplessly throws up his hands saying the file didn’t come to him,” posted Harish Rao.

“If such a major decision is being made in a department without the knowledge of a cabinet minister, then who is actually running this government?” he asked.

Harish Rao questioned Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, if he were running a government or a “circus company”.

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The BRS leader said it was regrettable that even after the High Court reprimanded the government over the ticket price hike, the government’s attitude did not change. He alleged that the government is indulging in self-praise in the Assembly and resorting to arbitrary decisions at the ground level.

Harish Rao said the government is saying one thing and doing something else. He recalled the Chief Minister’s words in the Assembly that as long as he is in power, there will be no increase in movie ticket rates, no benefit shows, and no special privileges will be given to anyone.

“How did these government orders (GOs) appear overnight? They have already issued GOs arbitrarily increasing ticket prices for three films. They are preparing to issue a GO for another film today or tomorrow,” he said.

He accused the Chief Minister of misleading the Assembly even on the issue of movie tickets. “Komatireddy is indirectly saying that the ticket price hike is the Chief Minister’s decision. Does Telangana have a minister for the film industry or not? If GOs are being issued without the knowledge of the concerned minister, then who is running this government?” he asked.

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