BRS MLA wears net in unique protest against mosquito menace in Hyderabad

In an unusual protest over the rising mosquito menace in Hyderabad, a Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) legislator wore a dress stitched using mosquito net as he launched a scathing attack against the Congress government of Telangana.

BRS MLA Devireddy Sudheer Reddy appeared before the media in the visually striking get-up on Thursday, alleging a complete failure in preventive measures and public health response under the current state government.

He said the aim behind the spectacle was to draw attention to what he described as an "alarming situation" in Hyderabad. The gesture, the MLA said, was meant to reflect the reality faced by citizens amid increasing mosquito infestation.

Reddy asserted that during the previous government under his party, a five-step scientific mosquito control system was implemented across lakes and water bodies, effectively curbing the breeding of mosquitoes.

He claimed that the current Revanth Reddy-led government has discontinued those measures – a move he said has led to a surge in vector-borne diseases such as malaria and chikungunya.

The opposition MLA further stated that government hospitals are witnessing a rise in fever cases, while civic authorities have failed to carry out adequate fogging and anti-larval operations.

Reddy also accused the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) of negligence, saying the public has been "left to their own fate."

He demanded that the state government immediately revive the purported scientific mosquito control methods from the BRS era and implement an emergency action plan to tackle the situation on a war footing.

The legislator also warned that the deteriorating conditions could harm Hyderabad's image as a global city. There was no immediate response to the allegations by the Congress government or the GHMC.