Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy sparked political debate after comparing a praise letter from Sonia Gandhi to a Nobel Prize, Oscar, and a lifetime achievement award.
During an event in New Delhi where he presented Telangana’s caste census, Reddy became emotional as he showed a handwritten letter from Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party. She had written to thank him for the invitation, although she couldn’t attend the event due to prior commitments.
Reddy called Sonia Gandhi the “icon of sacrifice” and said her letter was “the peak of satisfaction” in his political career. “Her appreciation means more to me than any award,” he said. “It’s a lifetime achievement, like an Oscar or a Nobel.”
At the same event, Reddy presented the “Telangana Socio-Economic Survey – Model and Methodology,” which he described as the RaRe model—named after Rahul Gandhi and Revanth Reddy. He said the caste survey covered over 88,000 pages of data collected through door-to-door surveys. According to the findings, OBCs form 56% of the population in Telangana, followed by SCs (17.4%), STs (10.9%), and 3.9% of people who identified with no caste.
Reddy took the opportunity to attack the BJP, claiming the party is not in favor of caste-based surveys. He also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s OBC status was officially recognized only after he became Gujarat’s Chief Minister.
However, the BJP reacted sharply. Party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala called Reddy’s praise of Sonia Gandhi an example of “extreme sycophancy.” He said, “If the caste survey is so great, why doesn’t Congress appoint an OBC Chief Minister in Telangana or Karnataka?”
BRS leader Dr Krishank also mocked Reddy. “How can a letter expressing regret for not attending be compared to an Oscar?” he asked.
Despite the criticism, Revanth Reddy stood firm, saying the praise from Sonia Gandhi was a personal milestone in his career—more meaningful than any award.
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