Statue War: BRS' KT Rama Rao Calls Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy "Cheap Minister", "Delhi Ghulam"

The Congress government's plan to install a statue of the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at the Telangana secretariat has sparked a war of words between Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and former minister KT Rama Rao. Revanth Reddy announced that both Rajiv Gandhi's statue and a statue of 'Telangana Thalli', the state's mother goddess, would be placed at the secretariat.

BRS leader KTR criticised this decision, stating that the location chosen for Rajiv Gandhi's statue was originally designated for Telangana Thalli's statue. "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," KTR said in a post on X.

Political Tensions Rise Over Statue Placement

KTR accused the Congress party of being "anti-Telangana" for their decision to place Rajiv Gandhi's statue in a spot reserved for Telangana Thalli. He highlighted that during his father KCR's tenure as Chief Minister, the Telangana secretariat was rebuilt into an impressive structure without renaming schemes or places named after Congress leaders.

In response, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy dared BRS leaders to touch Rajiv Gandhi's statue. "When we are proposing to install the statue of Rajiv Gandhi, who sacrificed his life for the country, they are saying that they will remove it. Despite losing power, their arrogance remains. Our party activists will take the responsibility of crushing this arrogance."

Verbal Attacks Intensify

KTR further escalated his criticism by calling Revanth Reddy a "Delhi Ghulam", implying he could not understand Telangana's pride and self-respect. He also suggested that if Revanth wanted to impress the Congress high command, he should install Rajiv Gandhi's statue at Gandhi Bhavan or his own residence.

The former minister also stated, "In four years, a BRS government will be formed under KCR. As soon as that happens, we will remove the statue of Rajiv Gandhi with due respect and move it wherever Congress wants, and reinstall Telangana Thalli's statue."

Revanth Reddy retorted sharply at an event, questioning if KTR wanted his father's statue installed instead and referred to KCR as a "drunk". He warned that any attempt to remove Rajiv Gandhi's statue would lead to severe consequences.

Public Exchanges Continue

KTR did not hold back in his verbal attacks either. He accused Revanth Reddy of using inappropriate language in front of school children and questioned his upbringing. "Using filthy language in front of school children shows your lousy thinking and uncouth upbringing. Wish you speedy healing from your mental sickness," he retorted.

This ongoing feud highlights deep political divisions within Telangana over symbolic representations and historical figures. Both leaders continue to use strong language and personal attacks to assert their positions on this contentious issue.