Telangana’s New Chief Minister Revanth Reddy Receives Backlash for Bihar DNA Remark

Revanth Reddy Sparks Controversy with “Bihar DNA” Comment as New Telangana Chief Minister

Revanth Reddy, the newly appointed Chief Minister of Telangana, has ignited a major controversy on his first day in office with his “Bihar DNA” comment. The remark has drawn condemnation from leaders in Bihar, where Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) are in alliance. Even the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has criticized Mr. Reddy.

According to reports, Mr. Reddy told reporters that his predecessor K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), the first Chief Minister of Telangana, has “Bihar DNA,” implying that he is a better choice for the southern state than KCR. “My DNA is Telangana. KCR’s DNA is Bihar. He belongs to Bihar. KCR’s caste is Kurmi. They migrated from Bihar to Vijayanagaram and from there to Telangana. Telangana DNA is better than Bihar DNA,” Mr. Reddy allegedly stated.

The Congress and Bihar’s ruling parties are part of the opposition alliance INDIA. JD(U) leader Neeraj Kumar expressed his disappointment over the comment, mentioning that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Bihar DNA” remark was one of the reasons for the BJP’s loss in the 2015 state election. “There is no such thing as Telangana DNA, Bihar DNA. It is Hindustan’s DNA. It is unfortunate that the Telangana leader said such a thing. What do they think, the INDIA alliance will grow stronger with such statements?” Mr. Kumar questioned.

BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad also condemned Mr. Reddy’s remarks, calling them “very shameful, divisive, and arrogant.” He raised concerns about the silence of INDIA alliance members and questioned why Nitish Kumar and the Congress members in Bihar have not spoken up against Mr. Reddy’s comments. BJP MP and former deputy chief minister of Bihar, Sushil Modi, demanded an apology from Mr. Reddy, stating that the alliance members have consistently insulted Hindu dharma and Sanatana dharma.

Referred to as “Tiger Revanth” by his supporters, Mr. Reddy played a significant role in the Congress’s victory. Previously a leader of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), he joined the Congress in 2017 and became the Telangana Congress president in 2021. Over the past two years, Mr. Reddy led campaigns against the KCR-led government, organizing street protests and public demonstrations on various issues. The Congress’s efforts paid off as they triumphed over the BRS.

The controversy surrounding Mr. Reddy’s “Bihar DNA” comment continues to unfold, awaiting further responses.