A political controversy has surfaced ahead of Christmas after Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy credited Congress leader Sonia Gandhi with the celebration of Christmas in the state, drawing sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP accused the Congress of indulging in sycophancy and insulting the Christian community.
Reddy made the remarks while addressing Christmas celebrations organised by the state government on Saturday.
During his speech, he also referred to the Congress government in neighbouring Karnataka, saying it has already introduced a bill to punish hate speech against other religions.
His comments were widely circulated on social media.
Reacting strongly, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, “If sycophancy were a sport, Revanth Reddy would win the Olympic gold medal. He has crossed all limits of flattery by claiming that Christmas is celebrated because of Sonia Gandhi's sacrifice. This is nothing but an insult to Jesus Christ and the Christian community. This is what happens when one indulges in blind devotion to a family, when personal loyalty outweighs the public mandate...”
Also Read | After Karnataka, Telangana to introduce legislation against hate speech, says CM Revanth Reddy
What did Revanth Reddy say?
{{/usCountry}}Also Read | After Karnataka, Telangana to introduce legislation against hate speech, says CM Revanth Reddy
What did Revanth Reddy say?
{{/usCountry}}Participating in the Christmas celebrations at LB Stadium (Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium), the Chief Minister stressed that people must respect all religions while practicing their own faith.
He said the government had already acted against those who incite religious hatred or attacks.
“We will bring a law in the Legislative Assembly to punish those who insult other religions. We will also amend the existing acts to punish those who abuse other faiths,” he said.
Linking the occasion to political milestones, Reddy said that December, which coincides with the birth of Jesus Christ, was also a “Miracle Month” for Telangana and the Congress party, noting that Sonia Gandhi was born in December and that Telangana was granted statehood during the same month.