K Kavitha slams Congress for changes in statue symbolising Telangana culture
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha on Saturday lashed out at Telangana’s Congress government for altering the iconic Telangana Talli statue and accused it of undermining.
The state’s traditions, festivals and identity, and systematically erasing symbols of its pride. Kavitha demanded that Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra clarify whether they approved of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s actions to “undermine” Bathukamma and “distort” Telangana’s cultural heritage.
She questioned if the Congress leadership approved of the Reddy government’s attempt to remove Bathukamma from Telangana Talli’s hand, and called on the party high command to act decisively against those disrespecting Telangana’s traditions.
The Telangana Jagruthi Founder said, “The Congress government’s statue will be recognised as Congress Maata by the people of Telangana, while the original Telangana Talli will reach every village, notebook, and calendar to inspire future generations”.
“It is Telangana’s misfortune to have a Chief Minister like Revanth Reddy, a person who never stood with the movement or chanted Jai Telangana. His government lacks the soul of Telangana and is destroying our traditions, festivals, and identity,” she added.
Kavitha alleged that the Telangana Talli redesign replaced Bathukamma, the floral arrangement representing the state’s identity, with the Congress party’s hand symbol. Bathukamma is a nine-day festival celebrated by women in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and is considered to be a symbol of Telugu culture and identity.
On December 9, Chief Minister Reddy, marking the first anniversary of his government in the state, unveiled a statue of the mythical Telugu Talli (Telugu mother), or Telangana Talli, in the courtyard of the secretariat as an “embodiment of the self-respect and existence of the people of Telangana”.
Telugu Talli was shown as a dignified middle-aged woman, giving an assurance of prosperity with her right hand and her left hand carrying traditional crops—paddy, pearl millet, fox tail millet and maize—cultivated in the state. Reddy called it “a symbol of people’s self-respect and identity”.
K Kavitha further criticised Pradesh Congress Committee President Mahesh Kumar Goud for his inaction against a Congress MLA who allegedly insulted Bathukamma and backward classes, questioning his commitment to the people belonging to Other Backward Classes (OBC).
Kavitha went ahead and demanded an apology from the Congress to the women of OBC and Dalit communities after the MLA said that the people belonging to these communities do not play Bathukamma.
In a resolution passed at a round table conference, the Telangana Jagruthi founder reaffirmed her resolve to install the original Telangana Talli statue in every village. Kavitha further vowed to ensure that Telangana’s identity remains intact, warning Congress that “the people of Telangana will not forgive such attacks on their heritage”.
After the statue was unveiled, BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) claimed that by installing the new statue of Telugu Talli, the Congress government had not only disrespected Telangana but also hurt the sentiments of people associated with the culture and prosperity of the region.