Political tensions in Telangana escalated as a heated exchange erupted between Chief Minister Revanth Reddy of the Congress party and K T Rama Rao, the working president of the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). The crux of the conflict lies in the Congress government’s decision to install a statue of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in front of the Telangana secretariat within 15-20 days.
CM Revanth Reddy confidently asserted that a statue of Rajiv Gandhi would soon grace the secretariat premises. He further declared that a statue of ‘Telangana Talli’ – the state’s mother goddess – would also be installed on December 9th.
However, this decision provoked a strong reaction from K T Rama Rao, who threatened to remove Rajiv Gandhi’s statue if his party, BRS, regains power. In a fiery post on X (formerly Twitter) on August 20th, KTR declared, “Mark my words Cheap Minister Revanth. We will clear out the trash from the surroundings of Dr BR Ambedkar secretariat the very same day we are back in office [sic].” He also accused Reddy of being a “Delhi Ghulam,” implying a lack of self-respect and pride for Telangana.
KTR, in a subsequent statement, asserted that a BRS government under KCR would remove the statue of Rajiv Gandhi with due respect and reinstall the statue of Telangana Talli. He emphasized that while in power, BRS would “clear the trash” surrounding the secretariat.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy countered KTR’s threats with a defiant stance, daring BRS leaders to touch the statue of Rajiv Gandhi. He argued that the installation was a tribute to a leader who sacrificed his life for the country and condemned KTR’s arrogance. He went on to say that if anyone dared to touch the statue, “hell will break loose.” Reddy also accused KTR of wanting to install a statue of his father, former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, instead, referring to the former CM as a “drunk.”
This exchange has ignited a fierce political battle in Telangana, highlighting the deep divisions between the Congress and BRS parties. The decision to install the statue of Rajiv Gandhi, along with the heated rhetoric surrounding it, has become a symbol of the political struggle in the state. The coming months will likely witness a further escalation of this conflict as both parties gear up for the upcoming elections.
