It is no secret that the current Congress government in Telangana, led by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, is trying to undo much of what his predecessor and Bharat Rashtra Samithi supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao established in terms of cultural and political legacy during his tenure (2014-2023).
As a result, Telangana, which was bifurcated from Andhra Pradesh in 2014 after a prolonged statehood movement (led by the Telangana Joint Action Committee and KCR), seems to be undergoing a second image makeover regarding its cultural identity. This shift was perhaps inevitable, given that the Congress has consistently claimed credit for granting statehood (under UPA-2).
Revanth Reddy’s approach is clear: he aims to either overwrite or erase the marks left by KCR. A prime example is the recently unveiled Telangana Thalli (Mother Telangana) statue, inaugurated at the state Secretariat in Hyderabad on Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s birthday. The statue sparked controversy because the new version depicts a woman in a green saree holding maize in her left hand, while her right hand forms an open palm, closely resembling the Congress’s party symbol.
The Congress’s intent to shape the statue in line with the party’s identity, rather than the state’s, could not be more apparent. However, the previous statue was not without criticism. Designed in 2003, the original Telangana Thalli appeared more like a deity, dressed in a pink silk saree representing the state’s famous Pochampally sarees. She held a Bathukamma (floral festival) pot in one hand and maize cobs in the other.
The newer version of Telangana Thalli seems to reflect a connection with common folk, possibly aligning with the Congress’s narrative. Chief Minister Reddy defended the redesign, saying that statehood activists and intellectuals were consulted during the process.
However, this statue is not the only source of controversy since the Congress assumed power. Revanth Reddy’s government drew flak when images of a redesigned Telangana emblem circulated on social media. The current emblem features the Kakatiya Thoranam (arch) and the Charminar, representing both the dynasties that once ruled over Telangana and Hyderabad.
Rumors suggested the Charminar might be omitted from the new emblem, stirring discontent among Muslims and prompting criticism from the BRS. Facing mounting pressure, the state government quietly shelved the redesign plans, and the emblem issue appears to be settled for now.
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Over the next four years, much of Telangana’s cultural symbolism will likely be reimagined to fit into the Congress’ image. While this was expected, it is rather sad to see that the cultural identity of Telangana can be so easily altered just because of petty rivalry and insecure politics.
I am unsure whether the Charminar’s removal was genuinely part of the redesign, but even the thought of it is rather silly, as the monument is integral to Hyderabad and Telangana’s identity. Those advising the current government clearly need to do a better job, at least for the sake of optics.
While it is true that the BRS and its decisions heavily centred around KCR’s family, it is also undeniable that KCR spearheaded the movement that resulted in Telangana’s formation. The Congress is trying to downplay this reality, but one cannot erase historical contributions while claiming to do the right thing. In many ways, Revanth Reddy is doing exactly what the previous administration did—reshaping the state’s identity to fit his party’s image.
Since coming to power last December, Revanth Reddy has sought to make his mark by unleashing the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection Agency (HYDRA) on unauthorised structures. While preserving lakes is laudable, targeting buildings constructed with prior government approval seems contradictory.
As someone who studied at Osmania University (2010-2012) during the statehood movement and witnessed Telangana’s formation, I believe we should refrain from continuously reshaping the state’s cultural identity. If people were unhappy with the emblem, they would have never accepted it to begin with. Changing everything simply because it was introduced by the previous government feels unnecessary, if not outright ridiculous. Of course, changing something that was done to suit a party is understandable.
The Congress must embody the values it claims to represent. Otherwise, it risks replicating the very traits it criticises in the BRS—operating as a family-centric party.
Yunus Lasania is a Hyderabad-based journalist whose work primarily focuses on politics, history and culture. He tweets @YunusLasania. Views are personal.
(Edited by Prashant)
