Tea Stall with KTR’s Photo Shut Down in Telangana’s Sircilla, Sparks Controversy

Hyderabad: A tea vendor in Telangana’s Sircilla found himself at the center of controversy on Tuesday, February 19, after authorities allegedly shut down his stall for displaying a photo of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao (KTR). The incident at Bathukamma Ghat has sparked widespread criticism from locals and political observers.  

Bathula Srinivas, who has been running the "KTR Tea Stall" for four years, saw his business abruptly closed after the district collector visited the area. Reports suggest that the collector objected to the prominent display of KTR’s image and questioned municipal officials about the stall’s trade license. Acting on his instructions, officials swiftly sealed the shop, leaving Srinivas without a livelihood.  

When asked about the reason for the closure, municipal authorities reportedly declined to provide a clear explanation, fueling speculation of political vendetta. Many critics accused the Congress-led government of targeting common citizens for their political affiliations. The move triggered outrage on social media, with netizens questioning the collector’s decision and suggesting that if the issue was a trade license violation, a fine could have been imposed instead of shutting down the stall.  

Reacting to the incident, KTR took to X and posted, “Everything shall be remembered. Nothing will be forgotten. I assure you.”  

### Protest at Sircilla Municipal Office  
In response, Srinivas and his family staged a protest in front of the Sircilla municipal office on Friday, February 21, demanding that the stall be reopened, citing it as his only source of income. As videos of the sit-in went viral, KTR personally spoke to Srinivas over the phone and assured him of support in reopening the tea stall. Several BRS leaders, including Sirisilla BRS district president Tota Agayya and town president Jindam Chakrapani, extended their solidarity with the vendor.