Harish Rao faults Telangana CM for making U-turn on special shows, cinema ticket rates hike

BRS leader criticizes Telangana CM for flip-flop on cinema ticket rates, plans privilege motion in Assembly.

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and former minister T. Harish Rao has criticised Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for making a volte-face on the issue of allowing increase in cinema ticket rates and special/benefit shows within two weeks of “making a tall statement in the Assembly” against giving special privileges to big budget films. The State government has recently approved an increase in ticket prices and additional screenings for the film Game Changer.

In a statement, Mr. Rao said on Friday (January 10, 2025) that both the Chief Minister Mr. Revanth Reddy and Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy had announced in the recent session of the Assembly, following the stampede at Sandhya theatre, that the State Government would not allow production houses to increase the cinema ticket rates for their big budget films and also would not allow special/benefit shows.

However, in less than a couple of weeks of making the announcement in the Assembly, the State Government had allowed an increase in cinema ticket rates and allowed additional shows. It was nothing but misleading the Assembly and also insulting it. The BRS would move a privilege motion against both the Chief Minister and Cinematography minister for taking the House for granted.

He sought to know how the Chief Minister had gone back on his word, when he repeatedly claimed that he would not go back on his word and would not take the step back if he puts it forward in any matter. He asked the Chief Minister to tell the reasons for making a U-turn on special shows and increase in cinema ticket rates after making an announcement following the death of a woman and hospitalisation of her son in the stampede at Sandhya theatre last month.