Telangana Chief Minister and senior Congress leader A. Revanth Reddy has sparked a major political controversy with his recent remarks concerning Lord Shiva and Lord Ram. During an event in Delhi, the Chief Minister made statements that have been perceived as dividing the divine along economic and regional lines. Speaking at 'The Conclave 2026' organized by the Pratidin Media Network, Revanth Reddy compared the two prominent deities of the Sanatan tradition, sparking a heated debate across the political spectrum.
The Controversial Statement by Revanth Reddy
While addressing the gathering in the national capital, Revanth Reddy presented a theory involving Dravidian and Aryan identities. He stated that as Dravidians, they've their own distinct traditions, while he went on to claim that Lord Shiva is the God of the poor, whereas Lord Ram is the God of the rich. He further alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is a party of the wealthy, which is why they exclusively use the slogan 'Jai Shri Ram' and don't say 'Har Har Mahadev'.
The Chief Minister didn't stop there; he also claimed a geographical divide in worship. According to him, Lord Shiva is worshipped more extensively in the South, while Lord Ram is the primary deity in the North. He accused the BJP of stealing Lord Ram and turning the deity into a political symbol. Revanth Reddy asserted that the Congress party consists of devotees of Lord Shiva, while the BJP represents the devotees of Lord Ram. This isn't the first time the Telangana CM has been embroiled in such a situation, as he had previously faced criticism for his remarks regarding the DNA of Bihar.
BJP Launches a Sharp Counterattack
The BJP has reacted strongly to the Chief Minister's remarks. Union Minister and BJP leader Bandi Sanjay Kumar spearheaded the rebuttal, accusing Revanth Reddy of drawing political lines between Lord Ram and Lord Shiva. Bandi Sanjay Kumar pointed out the irony in the CM's statement, noting that Revanth Reddy, who previously stated that 'Muslim is Congress and Congress is Muslim', is now attempting to divide Hindu deities for political gain.
Bandi Sanjay Kumar reminded the Chief Minister of the spiritual geography of Telangana itself. He mentioned that Telangana is home to Vemulawada, known as the 'Dakshina Kashi' (Southern Kashi), and Bhadrachalam, referred to as 'Dakshina Ayodhya' (Southern Ayodhya). He argued that as the CM of such a state, Revanth Reddy shouldn't be dividing Lord Ram and Lord Shiva between the North and the South. The Union Minister emphasized that Lord Shiva, who consumed the Halahal poison and became Neelkanth, is a symbol of sacrifice, while the Congress is now preparing its own 'Halahal' of caste-based and regional divisions.
The Unity of Hari and Hara
In his detailed response, Bandi Sanjay Kumar highlighted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi represents the Varanasi constituency, where the spiritual center is the Kashi Vishwanath temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. He noted that PM Modi was the first Prime Minister since independence to visit the Sri Rajarajeshwara Swamy temple in Vemulawada. He also pointed out that Revanth Reddy hails from Mahabubnagar, which houses the Manyamkonda Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple, a site known as Harihara Kshetra, symbolizing the unity of Hari (Vishnu/Ram) and Hara (Shiva).
The BJP leader accused the Congress of using the names of gods to take oaths during elections only to later use those same deities to divide the people. He concluded by quoting a sacred Sanskrit shloka to emphasize the oneness of the deities: 'Shivaya Vishnu Rupaya Shivaupaya Vishnave. ' This translates to the belief that Vishnu is in the heart of Shiva, and Shiva is in the heart of Vishnu. He asserted that this unity is the essence of Sanatan Dharma and called upon the public to recognize what he termed as the divisive politics of the Congress party.