Congress’ deep-rooted hatred for Telangana

Telangana was carved out as a separate State after a 14-year-long, hard-fought movement led by K Chandrashekhar Rao but the Congress govt seems determined to dismantle everything the State has built

By Kasarla Nagender Reddy

From the very beginning, the Congress has harboured resentment toward Telangana. Driven by this animosity, the party systematically suppressed the region’s identity and aspirations. This is precisely why the grand old party forcibly merged the prosperous and culturally rich Hyderabad State with Andhra Pradesh, disregarding the wishes of Telangana’s people.

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As if that wasn’t enough, the Congress ensured that Telangana remained subjugated under an administration dominated by united Andhra rulers, effectively stifling its progress and exploiting its resources. It was only after six decades of relentless struggle by Telangana’s people, when the demand became impossible to ignore, that Congress was compelled to grant statehood— not out of goodwill, but out of sheer political necessity.

Telangana was carved out as a separate State after a 14-year-long, hard-fought movement led by K Chandrashekhar Rao. Under his leadership, the newly formed State flourished for a decade, achieving unprecedented progress across multiple sectors. However, this very success has been intolerable for the Congress.

Despite claiming credit for granting Statehood, the Congress failed to garner support in Telangana, which only deepened its resentment. Out of sheer vengeance, the party strategically placed an inexperienced and unqualified leader at the helm of Telangana’s government. The Congress high command, fearing that Telangana’s continued success under Chandrashekhar Rao’s leadership would overshadow them, deliberately chose someone with no governance experience — Revanth Reddy — as the Chief Minister. Staying true to their calculations, Revanth Reddy has consistently exposed his lack of knowledge, turning Telangana into a subject of mockery on global platforms.

Telangana’s humiliation on the world stage began early in Revanth Reddy’s tenure, particularly during the World Economic Forum summit in Davos. Instead of attracting investments, the Chief Minister and his delegation returned home empty-handed, carrying only embarrassment. While he had promised to secure job opportunities for Telangana’s youth, his biggest contribution to the summit was providing meme pages with endless content. His infamous statement about a “nuclear chain reaction,” delivered without context or understanding, not only showcased his ignorance but also tarnished Telangana’s reputation.

At the latest Davos summit, Revanth Reddy continued his streak of blunders. Struggling to articulate his thoughts in English, he stumbled through his speech, hesitating and mumbling “oh oh oh” in between sentences. His lack of preparation became yet another source of online ridicule. If his “nuclear chain reaction” remark from the previous year wasn’t enough, this time he outdid himself by claiming that “our State is China plus one.” This bizarre statement left the audience, including Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu and Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, suppressing their laughter. A viral video captured their expressions, as they exchanged amused glances, perhaps wondering how Telangana ended up with such leadership.

This isn’t the first time Revanth Reddy has embarrassed the State with his ignorance. In the past, he falsely claimed that flights were available from Dilsukhnagar, leaving people baffled. He also once declared that Telangana was surrounded by three oceans, exposing his complete lack of geographical knowledge.

Despite his repeated gaffes, the Congress has shown no concern. The party’s indifference stems from its deep-seated animosity toward Telangana. In fact, the Congress has a long history of sidelining competent and visionary leaders, preferring instead those who blindly follow the high command.

A prime example of this was the party’s treatment of PV Narasimha Rao. As India’s Prime Minister, PV steered the country through economic reforms with remarkable acumen, refusing to be a puppet of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. This independence was something the Congress could never tolerate. Even after his death, the party denied him due recognition, neglecting to establish a memorial for him in Delhi. In contrast, the Congress recently proposed a memorial for former PM Manmohan Singh but conveniently ignored PV Narasimha Rao — purely because he was from Telangana.

Had Congress been in power when Telangana was formed, the State would have suffered irreversible damage. It would have been labelled a failed experiment, fueling demands for a re-merger with Andhra Pradesh. K Chandrashekar Rao, foreseeing such a catastrophe, refused to merge the TRS with the Congress after statehood was achieved. Instead, he took it upon himself to steer Telangana toward progress, acting as a shield against those who wished to see it fail. He nurtured Telangana’s development, ensuring that the State did not sink but soared to new heights.

Now, however, the Congress government seems determined to dismantle everything Telangana has built. Instead of adding the final touches to the dream that Chandrashekhar Rao envisioned, Revanth Reddy is actively destroying its foundation.

As former US President Ronald Reagan once said, “Government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem.” In Telangana’s case, the Congress has always been the problem.

(The author is president, BRS Australia)