Harish Rao pens open letter to Rahul Gandhi, slams Revanth Reddy’s leadership

Hyderabad: Senior BRS leader T Harish Rao has written a scathing open letter to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, criticising Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s style of governance and accusing him of abandoning Congress’ ideological principles.

In the letter, Harish Rao alleged that the Revanth-led administration is fostering a distorted style of governance in Telangana, marked by authoritarian practices and political coercion. “Your principles are being trampled upon in Telangana by Revanth Reddy. He is openly encouraging party defections,” Rao wrote, questioning Rahul Gandhi’s silence on the matter.

Rao also pointed out the hypocrisy in Congress’ stance towards demolitions and police excesses. “The Congress party once criticised the ‘bulldozer raj’ in other states. Why is there silence when similar demolitions are happening in Telangana under your leadership?” he asked.

Citing the recent incident at the University of Hyderabad (HCU), where students were reportedly assaulted by police, Harish Rao questioned Rahul Gandhi’s silence. “Why is there no condemnation when Telangana students are targeted by the police?” he wrote, suggesting that such silence amounts to tacit approval.

Drawing comparisons with the Congress’ vocal opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi, Rao asked why similar scrutiny was not applied in Telangana. “You fight Modi’s regime in Delhi, yet praise Revanth here as ‘bade bhai’ — is this not a double standard?” Rao questioned.

Harish Rao’s letter has added fuel to the political discourse in the state, intensifying the ongoing rivalry between the BRS and the Congress in Telangana’s post-election scenario.