Revanth Reddy says Shiva is God of poor, Ram God of rich, represented by wealthy party like BJP

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has triggered a political controversy after drawing a sharp contrast between the way Lord Ram and Lord Shiva are invoked in Indian politics. Speaking at a conclave in New Delhi, Reddy said Lord Shiva is associated with the poor while Lord Ram is associated with the rich, and alleged that the BJP had “stolen Lord Ram” as a political symbol.

Reddy made the remarks while explaining why he believes the Congress has struggled electorally in several northern states despite having a stronger presence in parts of southern India. His comments have since drawn a sharp response from the BJP, with Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar accusing the Telangana chief minister of creating a political divide between Lord Ram and Lord Shiva.

‘BJP stole Lord Ram’, says Revanth Reddy

Reddy said the political and cultural landscape of northern and southern India was different, linking it to the way religious slogans and traditions are used in public life. “We are Dravidians. People here (north) are Aryans. We are devotees of Shiva. These are devotees of Lord Ram. BJP stole Ram. It's an emotion. It's a sentiment,” he said at the event.


He also questioned why Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP leaders do not use the slogan “Har Har Mahadev” as frequently as “Jai Shri Ram” at public events. According to Reddy, the Congress has been able to retain greater political relevance in the south partly because of these differences in regional political culture. He described Lord Shiva as the “God of the poor” and Lord Ram as the “God of the rich”, adding that the BJP was a party representing the rich.

The comments have become the latest flashpoint in the political debate over religion, regional identity and the use of religious imagery in Indian politics.

Bandi Sanjay hits back at Revanth Reddy

BJP leader and Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar strongly criticised the Telangana chief minister. Sanjay said Reddy should not try to create a political distinction between Lord Ram and Lord Shiva. He pointed out that Telangana itself has major religious centres associated with both deities, including Vemulawada, often referred to as “Dakshina Kashi”, and Bhadrachalam, known for its Lord Ram temple.

“Being the CM of Telangana that has Dakshina Kashi at Vemulawada and Dakshina Ayodhya at Bhadrachalam, Revanth Reddy should know better than to divide Lord Rama and Lord Shiva into North and South,” Sanjay said, according to his response. Sanjay also referred to Varanasi and the Kashi Vishwanath temple while responding to Reddy's suggestion that the BJP's political messaging is centred more around Lord Ram than Lord Shiva.

The BJP's response has added another layer to the controversy, with the party arguing that worship of Lord Shiva is not limited to southern India.

Revanth Reddy also attacks BJP over SIR

Reddy's comments on Ram and Shiva came during a wider discussion about the Congress's political prospects and differences between northern and southern states. He also raised the issue of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and said opposition parties could launch a nationwide campaign against it. Reddy compared the proposed “SIR, go back” campaign with the historic “Simon Go Back” movement against the Simon Commission during British rule.

The Telangana chief minister alleged that the SIR exercise could lead to voters being removed from electoral rolls and claimed that it would benefit the BJP. These are political allegations made by Reddy, and the BJP has disputed his broader criticism of the electoral process. Reddy also spoke about his government's focus on education and skill development, including the Young India Skills University.

(Inputs from PTI)