New Delhi, September 29 (Daily Kiran) : Telangana Chief Minister K. Revant Reddy has ignited a significant political controversy with his recent remarks distinguishing the religious and political identities of North and South India. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has strongly criticized Reddy, accusing him of attempting to divide society for political gain.
Speaking at a media event in the national capital, Reddy questioned the BJP’s slogan “Jai Shri Ram,” asking why Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders do not chant “Har Har Mahadev” in the same manner. He expressed, “We are Dravidians. Here (in North India), people are Aryans. We worship Shiva, while they worship Lord Ram. The BJP has appropriated Ram. This is a sentiment, an emotion. Why doesn’t PM Modi say ‘Har Har Mahadev’? Have you ever seen BJP members chant ‘Har Har Mahadev’ on stage? They only say ‘Jai Shri Ram.’ They dislike it when we chant ‘Har Har Mahadev.'”
Reddy characterized Lord Shiva as the “God of the poor” and Lord Ram as the “God of the rich,” noting that both deities are worshipped by people. His statements support the argument that there are significant differences in the political culture and social identities of North and South India.
The BJP responded sharply to Reddy’s comments, alleging that he made such statements under the influence of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari accused Reddy of aiming to “divide Hindus” as part of a so-called vote-bank strategy.
On social media, Bhandari claimed that Reddy’s remarks were intended to find “a new way to divide Hindus” for political purposes. He referred to the Congress party as the “Modern Muslim League Congress,” asserting that its leaders would not succeed in their efforts to divide followers of Lord Ram and Lord Shiva.
Bhandari also pointed out that the Congress party has historically opposed various religious and temple-related initiatives. He reminded the public that the Congress had opposed the construction of the Somnath Temple and the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, and had suspended party workers for chanting “Har Har Mahadev” in 2018.
He dismissed Reddy’s suggestion that BJP leaders do not chant “Har Har Mahadev,” stating, “PM Modi is the only Prime Minister who chants both ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Har Har Mahadev.’ Those engaged in vote bank politics fail to recognize that before heading to Lanka in the Ramayana, Lord Ram worshipped Mahadev.”
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