BJP Hits Back at Revanth Reddy Over Ram-Shiva Remarks

• BJP attacks Revanth Reddy over Ram-Shiva remarks.
• Reddy says BJP “stole Ram” as a political symbol.
• Telangana CM calls Shiva the “God of the poor”.
• Sudhanshu Trivedi accuses Congress of dividing Hindus.

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 30th Sept: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday criticised Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy over his recent remarks contrasting the political and religious symbolism associated with Lord Ram and Lord Shiva, accusing the Congress of attempting to create divisions within Hindu society.

The controversy followed Reddy’s remarks at a media conclave in New Delhi on Monday, where he attributed Congress’s stronger political presence in southern India, compared with the north, partly to what he described as the BJP’s appropriation of Lord Ram.

Reddy said, “BJP stole Ram”, and contrasted the worship of Lord Ram in northern India with the prominence of Lord Shiva in the south. He also said, “Shiva is the God of the poor, Ram is the God of the rich,” while describing the BJP as a party of the rich.

Reacting to the remarks, BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi alleged that the Congress was now attempting to create divisions even between Hindu deities.

Trivedi described Reddy’s comments as an example of what he characterised as divisive politics and questioned the Congress’s approach to Hindu religious traditions. The BJP’s criticism is based on its interpretation of Reddy’s comments; the Congress has presented his remarks in the context of political criticism of the BJP’s use of religious symbolism.

The BJP has also previously responded to Reddy’s remarks through Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar, who accused the Telangana Chief Minister of drawing political boundaries between Lord Ram and Lord Shiva.

During the Delhi event, Reddy said, “We are Dravidians. People here (north) are Aryans. We are devotees of Shiva. These are devotees of Lord Ram.”

He questioned why Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP leaders frequently use the slogan “Jai Shri Ram” but, according to him, do not similarly use “Har Har Mahadev” at public events.

Reddy’s remarks linked religious symbolism with his broader argument about differences between the political cultures of northern and southern India. His comments have since triggered criticism from BJP leaders and discussion over the political use of religious identities.

BJP leaders have argued that Lord Ram and Lord Shiva are revered across regions and that presenting them as symbols of separate northern and southern identities is misleading.

Bandi Sanjay Kumar pointed to religious sites associated with both deities in Telangana, including Vemulawada and Bhadrachalam, while also referring to Prime Minister Modi’s association with Varanasi and the Kashi Vishwanath temple.

The controversy comes amid broader political disagreements between the BJP and Congress over issues including the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and the political representation of southern states.

The latest exchange has added another layer to the ongoing confrontation between the Congress and BJP, with religious symbolism, regional identity and electoral politics becoming central to the dispute.

While the BJP has characterised Reddy’s remarks as an attempt to divide Hindus, Reddy’s comments were framed by him as criticism of the BJP’s political use of Lord Ram and differences in political narratives between northern and southern India.