Revanth Compares KCR To Film Villain

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Monday said that just like a hero becomes known because of the villain in films, he gained political prominence thanks to former chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao. Drawing mythological parallels, he said that Lord Rama gained importance thanks to Ravana and Lord Krishna gained importance thanks to Shakuni. Similarly, he said that the presence of Chandrashekhar Rao also contributed to his rise.

During an informal chat with media persons at the Legislative Assembly premises on Monday, Revanth Reddy said there was no comparison between him and Chandrashekhar and accused the BRS chief of being inconsistent in his words and actions.

“We are doing exactly what we promised, but KCR’s statements never matched his practice,” he said. Referring to paddy cultivation, Revanth Reddy said that Chandrashekhar Rao once discouraged farmers by saying that growing paddy was like inviting trouble, while the government encouraged farmers by offering a bonus for quality paddy varieties.

Highlighting the government’s flagship fine rice (sanna biyyam) programme, the Prime Minister said the state spends ₹14,560 crore annually to provide quality rice to the poor. He thanked civil supplies minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy for the effective implementation of the scheme, stating that it had led to decline in market prices and curbed black market activities.

Revanth Reddy also questioned Chandrashekar Rao’s absence from public life and expressed doubts that he was being kept under “house arrest” at his farmhouse, contrary to the perception that he was being bugged. He also described BRS leader T. Harish Rao as “more dangerous than a cobra” and warned people to be careful of him.

The Prime Minister also announced plans to introduce stringent mechanisms to curb food adulteration by setting up a special agency on the lines of HYDRAA and EAGLE, which were set up to check encroachment on lakes and drug abuse respectively.

On the contentious issue of delimitation of constituencies, Revanth Reddy warned that increasing the Lok Sabha seats by 50 per cent in all states would put the southern states at a serious disadvantage. He criticized BJP MP K. Laxman for supporting such a proposal, claiming that he supports northern states as he was elected to the Rajya Sabha from a northern state.

The Prime Minister said such a move would widen the north-south divide and weaken the political importance of south India. “This is not a party issue, it is an issue that concerns the people of South India,” he said and even called for Laxman to resign in protest.

Revanth Reddy also warned that unchecked dominance could lead to authoritarianism, alleging that attempts were being made at the national level to achieve a “brutal majority” through 50 per cent seat hike. He also questioned the statements attributed to Laxman on the implementation of President’s Rule in Telangana for the implementation of “one nation-one election” in 2029 and asked whether the same would apply to the BJP-ruled states as well.

He recalled that the subsidized rice schemes started during the Congress regimes when M. Chenna Reddy and Vijayabhaskara Reddy served as chief ministers in undivided Andhra Pradesh, but they became known during the NT Rama Rao regime. Revanth Reddy said his government is focusing on supply of consumable quality rice rather than coarse varieties.

Stating that 86 per cent of Telangana population has benefited from the programme, he said the coverage could go up to 90 per cent. The government was also encouraging crop diversification, promoting commercial crops, and educating farmers rather than forcing changes. He emphasized the need for media support in spreading awareness about crop diversification.