Hyderabad: Union Minister of Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy and Telangana BJP president N. Ramachander Rao strongly condemned Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy's alleged remarks describing engineering students as "criminal waste," calling them insensitive and insulting to the student community.

Taking to X on Friday, Kishan Reddy said that even after 12 years of Telangana's formation, the anti-youth mindset of both the Congress and the BRS remains unchanged. Governments may have changed, but successive Chief Ministers have continued to mock and undermine the aspirations of Telangana's youth instead of empowering them, he said.

The Union Minister asserted that Revanth Reddy, who also holds the education portfolio, has no moral right to describe engineering students as "criminal waste." Such remarks, he said, insult lakhs of students, their families and every engineer who has brought pride to Telangana and India.

Kishan Reddy alleged that this was not an isolated incident, recalling that former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao had used similar rhetoric. Whether under the BRS or the Congress, successive governments have failed to recognise the immense talent and potential of Telangana's youth, choosing instead to belittle and demoralise them, he said.

Highlighting the achievements of Telangana's engineers, he said they have built globally successful careers, driven technological innovation, founded world-class companies and strengthened India's reputation as a global technology powerhouse. "Telangana's engineers are not 'criminal waste.' They are innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers and nation-builders," he said, adding that the youth deserve leaders who inspire and invest in their future.

Meanwhile, BJP state president N. Ramachander Rao, currently on a US tour, also condemned the Chief Minister's remarks and demanded an immediate apology. He alleged that the comments insult the entire student community and tarnish the state's education system.

Rao further accused the Congress government of failing to release nearly Rs 1,200 crore in pending fee-reimbursement arrears, putting educational institutions under severe financial pressure and jeopardising the future of lakhs of students. Instead of addressing these issues, he alleged, the Chief Minister has chosen to demean students. He warned that if Revanth Reddy fails to apologise, the BJP would unite students and launch an agitation against the remarks.