Will cut your tongue: Opposition fury follows Revanth Reddy’s threat to critics

In response to criticism from the Opposition, especially previous Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy used loud and inflammatory words, which caused a political storm in the Assembly.

During his remarks, Revanth Reddy said, “If anyone questions our commitment to Telangana and its farmers, he (KCR) said that he will skin us right. We will not just skin them, but we will cut their tongues. You speak whatever you want and criticise anything, but if you comment against our commitment, loyalty will cut your tongue.”

He added, “You might remove this from the records, but to register this in the minds of the public, I am officially making this statement, Speaker.”

The Chief Minister went on to attack the BRS government’s record, saying, “In ten years, you didn’t do anything, but we have been trying to get permissions for the last two years to bring water. Why are you trying to insult us?”

In a post on X, the BJP’s national unit also attacked Revanth Reddy, claiming that he had “crossed every democratic limit” by using derogatory language against senior BRS leaders T Harish Rao and KT Rama Rao on the House floor.

Telangana BJP president Ramchander Rao criticised the Chief Minister, saying, “The statement of the Chief Minister, abusive words used by him, have influenced CPI leaders to use similar words against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.” He said the Telangana Assembly was setting a bad example for the country and urged both the ruling and Opposition parties to avoid unparliamentary language.

BRS leader Dasoju Sravan Kumar strongly criticised the Chief Minister and appealed to senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to intervene. He said, “I appeal to the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and the most senior leader of the Congress party, Rahul Gandhi ji. What kind of Chief Minister have you given to Telangana, sir? Is he a Chief Minister or a cheap minister?” Sravan Kumar alleged that the Assembly had been reduced to “a big joke” and said, “Such a psychopathic Chief Minister is now abusing his fellow MLAs in the Assembly.”

Congress spokesperson Sama Ram Mohan Reddy defended the chief minister, saying those who criticized Revanth Reddy ought to think about themselves. He claimed that the Chief Minister had revealed the BRS leaders’ “betrayal of Telangana” on the Assembly floor, along with supporting documentation, and that the language used by Opposition leaders outside the House was disparaging in and of itself. He further stated that BRS leaders were not qualified to lecture the Congress.