Telangana CM questions BJP’s use of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and contrasts religious identities of North and South India; BJP accuses him of divisive politics
New Delhi, Sept 2026 : Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s remarks contrasting the religious and cultural identities of North and South India have triggered a political controversy, with the BJP strongly objecting to his comments on Lord Ram, Lord Shiva and the slogans associated with the two deities.
Speaking at a media event in the national capital, Reddy questioned the Bharatiya Janata Party’s repeated use of the slogan “Jai Shri Ram” and asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders do not similarly use “Har Har Mahadev” at public platforms.
Reddy said South Indians identify more closely with Dravidian traditions and Lord Shiva, while contrasting this with what he described as the religious and cultural preferences of North India. He also alleged that the BJP had politically appropriated the image of Lord Ram.
“We are Dravidians. Here, people are Aryans. We are devotees of Shiva, while people here are devotees of Lord Ram. BJP stole Ram,” Reddy said, according to reports of his remarks. He questioned why BJP leaders did not use “Har Har Mahadev” more frequently and said both Lord Shiva and Lord Ram were revered deities.
Reddy also made a socioeconomic comparison, describing Lord Shiva as the “God of the poor” and Lord Ram as the “God of the rich”. His comments were made while discussing what he portrayed as differences between the political and social cultures of northern and southern India.
The remarks drew a sharp response from the BJP. Party leaders accused Reddy of creating a political distinction between followers of Lord Shiva and Lord Ram. Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar said that attempts to create a divide between the two deities for political purposes were contrary to the spirit of Hinduism. He also pointed to prominent religious sites in Telangana associated with both traditions.
BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari also criticised the Telangana Chief Minister. In a social media post, Bhandari alleged that Reddy’s remarks were aimed at “vote bank politics” and claimed they were made at the direction of Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.
Bhandari further accused the Congress of attempting to create divisions among Hindus based on devotion to Lord Ram and Lord Shiva. He also made broader allegations against the Congress over its past positions on religious and temple-related issues.
Responding specifically to Reddy’s claim that BJP leaders do not chant “Har Har Mahadev”, Bhandari said Prime Minister Modi uses both “Jai Shri Ram” and “Har Har Mahadev”. He also invoked the Ramayana to argue that devotion to Lord Shiva and Lord Ram has historically coexisted within Hindu religious traditions.
The exchange has brought religious symbolism, regional identity and political rhetoric into the centre of the latest Congress-BJP confrontation. Reddy’s remarks and the BJP’s response reflect sharply different interpretations of the political use of religious slogans and the cultural relationship between North and South India.
