Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is on the receiving end of backlash from political and religious outfits over his remarks about 3 crore Hindu deities, suggesting there is a god for every occasion. The remarks have triggered a major political controversy with the BJP and the RSS calling them "extremely insulting".
The comments, made during a party executive meeting on Tuesday, drew swift and sharp criticism from the BJP and the BRS, who accused him of hurting Hindu sentiments.
What Revanth Reddy said on Hindu gods
While speaking at the meeting, the chief minister offered what he described as an observation made "in a lighter vein" about the diversity of Hindu worship.
His remark, which went viral after internal clips surfaced, was: “How many deities are there in Hinduism? How many deities? Three crores? Why? For those who are unmarried, there is god hanuman. For those who are married twice, there is another god. For those who drink, there is another god. Yellamma, Pochamma, Maisamma. For those who demand chicken, there is a god. And for those who eat dal-rice, there is another god, right? There are all kinds of deities."
Opposition parties quickly seized on the statement, interpreting it as a mockery of the core beliefs and customs of Hinduism.
'Hinduphobic DNA': Backlash follows Reddy's remarks
Attacking Reddy on X, the BJP's Telangana unit said, "Revanth Reddy has once again crossed every line of decency by spewing venom against Hindu deities and exposing the Congress party’s inherent Hinduphobic DNA. From a public platform, he shamelessly mocked Hindu faith,"
Union minister and former Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar issued a strong statement on social media, accusing the Congress of harbouring hostility towards Hindus.
"I strongly condemn the comments made by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy insulting Hindus and Hindu deities. The Congress has always been a party that bends before the AIMIM. Revanth Reddy himself said Congress is a Muslim party. That statement alone exposes their mindset. Congress carries deep-rooted hatred towards Hindus," Bandi Sanjay said.
"This is exactly why we warned during the Jubilee Hills by-election that if Congress or BRS accidentally won, Hindus would not be able to step out with dignity. The Chief Minister's latest comments prove BJP was right," he added.
Calling on Hindus to stand together, he said: "The hatred Congress holds towards Hindus and Hindu gods now stands exposed. It is time for the Hindu community to think seriously. Will you stay divided and continue to endure humiliation, or will you unite and assert your strength?"
Soon after, BJP state chief G Ramchandra Rao announced statewide protests and agitations demanding an unconditional apology from the Chief Minister and the Congress government.
Protests are expected to intensify across Telangana in the coming days.
The BRS also criticised the remarks, with several leaders urging the Chief Minister to withdraw his statement at once and apologise for hurting the sentiments of crores of Hindus in the state.
