A major political controversy broke out in Telangana on Tuesday after Chief Minister Revanth Reddy made remarks about Hindu deities during a public gathering, prompting sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

While addressing the audience, CM Reddy questioned the diversity of worship within Hinduism. “How many gods do Hindus believe in? Three crore? Why are there so many gods? Those who are bachelors have Hanuman as their god. Those who marry twice have another god. Those who drink alcohol have a different god. Those who sacrifice chickens have a different god. Those who eat lentils and rice have a different god. Every group has its own god,” he said.

His comments immediately sparked outrage, with the BJP accusing the Chief Minister of insulting Hindu sentiments and deliberately targeting a large section of society. The party’s Telangana unit took to X to condemn the remarks, writing, “CM Revanth Reddy has once again crossed every line of decency by spewing venom against Hindu deities and exposing the Congress party’s inherent Hinduphobic DNA.”

Continuing its attack, the party added, “From a public platform, he shamelessly mocked Hindu faith, saying: ‘How many gods do Hindus believe in? Three crore? Why so many? One god for the unmarried – Hanuman. Another for those who marry twice. And another for those who drink alcohol.’”

Distancing the issue from mere rhetorical exaggeration, the BJP further stated that the Chief Minister’s remarks were intentional and divisive. “This is not a joke. This is not a slip of the tongue. This is deliberate, targeted insult aimed at deriding Hindu traditions and humiliating devotees,” the statement said.

Accusing the Congress government of targeting Hindu beliefs for political gain, the BJP said, “This is the true face of Congress: Mock Hindus, malign their beliefs, and manufacture division for political gain.”

This isn’t the first time Revanth Reddy has stirred controversy. During last month’s election rally for the Jubilee Hills by-poll, he had asserted the Congress party’s commitment to minority representation. “It is only Congress that gave big posts to the minorities. Congress means Muslims and Muslims mean Congress. In our government, Hindus and Muslims are all equal. We don’t discriminate,” he had said.