A row has broken out in Telangana over Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s remarks about Hindu deities at a Congress meeting in Hyderabad, which Opposition parties allege are insulting to Hindus. Speaking to party workers, Reddy compared the ideological diversity within the Congress to the plurality of Hindu beliefs, saying the party accommodates people of all kinds of viewpoints and identities.
He reportedly cited different ways in which Hindus worship various deities and used colloquial references to illustrate that there are gods for different lifestyles and preferences, arguing that, similarly, the Congress has space for every “mentality”.
BJP leaders, including Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar, accused him of denigrating Hindu gods and claimed the comments showed the Congress harboured hatred towards Hindus, while leaders of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi also demanded an apology for allegedly hurting religious sentiments.
Amid mounting criticism, Reddy said his remarks had been twisted for political gain and stressed that his intention was only to explain that, just as Hinduism encompasses many gods, the Congress has many leaders and views that must work together. Telangana Congress chief B Mahesh Kumar Goud backed the chief minister, saying he had merely quoted Telugu sayings “in a lighter vein” and reiterating that both Reddy and the party respect all religions.