Controversy erupted around Congress party leaders using caged birds during a public event on the occasion of Dasara festivities, here on Wednesday.

In a social media post, chief of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee B. Mahesh Kumar Goud could be seen holding a palapitta or Indian Roller Bird brought to him in a cage, showing it to the audience, and then releasing it, while announcements blared from the megaphone, that the palapitta had arrived.

Witnessing the roller bird on the occasion of Dasara is considered auspicious in Telangana, giving rise to the practice of illegal capture of the bird for a quick buck.

Among the local Congress leaders surrounding him is former corporator from Uppal of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation’s Rajitha Parameshwar Reddy, along with her husband M. Parameshwar Reddy, who is said to have organised the festivities in Uppal Municipal Stadium.

Mr.Parameshwar Reddy posted pictures of the same on his X account, owning up the celebrations, attended by a large number of people.

Forest officials were alerted about the incident by a post from the account with the user name ‘Forests And Wildlife Protection Society-FAWPS’.

‘We urge the non working forest dept of Telangana to thoroughly investigate and take immediate and strict action against this,” the post said, while featuring the video clip.

Medchal Malkajgiri district forest officials informed that a case has been registered under the relevant sections of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 against those responsible, including Mr.Parameshwar Reddy.