3 weeks ago
Congress Rethinks Telangana Strategy After Black Magic Row
Two big political groups in the Indian state of Telangana, called Congress and BRS, are having a big fight.
Leaders from the Congress party said that a BRS leader named Harish Rao went to religious places and did special rituals, which they called 'black magic.'
They said he did these rituals to hurt the state of Telangana and the Congress government.
Harish Rao said this is not true at all.
He sent official legal notices, which are warnings from lawyers, telling the Congress leaders to say sorry and take back their words.
His lawyer warned that he could take them to court for defamation, which means saying false things about someone.
The BRS party also said the Congress was making fun of normal Hindu religious practices by calling them 'black magic.'
People in the Congress party are now worried because some of their leaders are saying things that get the party into trouble.
The head of the Congress party, Mallikarjun Kharge, put a new person in charge of the party's media in Telangana to fix the situation.
Now everyone is waiting to see if the party will punish or change more leaders.
Congress and BRS are locked in a bitter political fight over allegations of 'kshudra pujas' and 'black magic' against senior BRS leader T Harish Rao.
Telangana Congress leaders accused Harish Rao of performing tantric rituals at religious places, including Tiruchirappalli and Shivamogga, to harm Telangana and the Congress government.
Harish Rao rejected the allegations and sent legal notices to three Congress leaders, demanding unconditional apologies and withdrawal of statements, warning of civil and criminal defamation cases.
BRS MLC Dasoju Sravan accused the Congress of wrongly presenting traditional Hindu practices as 'kshudra pujas' and urged parties to focus on governance.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on August 6 appointed Bhongir MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy as the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee's State Chairperson of Media and Publicity, a move seen as a snub to the state unit.
- Who
- Telangana Congress leaders (including B Mahesh Kumar Goud, Sama Ramamohan Reddy, and Addanki Dayakar) and BRS leader T Harish Rao, with BRS MLC Dasoju Sravan also involved.
- What
- A political controversy over allegations of 'kshudra pujas' and 'black magic' against Harish Rao, triggering legal notices and a rethink of the Congress's communication strategy.
- Where
- Telangana, India; the alleged rituals reportedly took place in Tiruchirappalli and Shivamogga.
- When
- The controversy is ongoing; Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge made an organisational appointment on August 6.
- Why
- Congress leaders accused Harish Rao of performing tantric rituals with the intention of harming Telangana and the Congress government; he denied the claims, demanded apologies, and threatened defamation action.
Congress
BRS
Black magic allegations
Congress
Harish Rao visited religious places and performed tantric rituals with the intention of harming Telangana and the Congress government.
BRS
The allegations are false; traditional Hindu practices are being wrongly branded as 'kshudra pujas'.
Religion in politics
Congress
Harish Rao should directly answer why he performed such rituals at Tiruchirappalli and Shivamogga.
BRS
Politics should be a persuasive debate on policies and governance, not religious practices.
Key facts
- Allegation
- Harish Rao performed 'kshudra pujas' and tantric rituals at religious places
- Alleged purpose
- To harm Telangana and the Congress government
- Alleged ritual locations
- Tiruchirappalli and Shivamogga
- Legal response
- Legal notices demanding unconditional apologies, with civil and criminal defamation cases threatened
- Congress leaders sent notices
- B Mahesh Kumar Goud, Sama Ramamohan Reddy, Addanki Dayakar
- BRS counter
- Traditional Hindu practices being wrongly presented as 'kshudra pujas'
- Organisational move
- Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy appointed TPCC State Chairperson of Media and Publicity on August 6
Quotes
Sama Ramamohan Reddy
Chairman of Telangana Congress state media and communication
“"For what purpose did you do all this? A direct question,"”
NDTV
“"Politics is a persuasive debate on policies,"”
NDTV
Sources
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