Hyderabad: Telangana following Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s sharp remarks during a campaign speech for Congress candidate Naveen Yadav in the upcoming Jubilee Hills by-election. The Chief Minister’s comments questioning the BJP’s “carpet bombing” campaign and India’s actions against Pakistan have drawn strong criticism from BJP leaders, including Bandi Sanjay Kumar, who demanded an unconditional apology.
During his address, Revanth Reddy hit out at BJP leaders for their statement that they would “carpet bomb” Jubilee Hills with campaign activities. The Chief Minister questioned why the same aggression was not shown in India’s war against Pakistan.
“They are shamelessly saying that they will carpet bomb Jubilee Hills. The BJP MPs are roaming around Jubilee Hills without asking for funds from Prime Minister Modi,” Reddy said, taking a swipe at Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar.
He went on to ask whether the BJP leaders had brought any central funds to Telangana, alleging that they were only focused on publicity rather than development.
The Chief Minister was accompanied at the event by former Indian cricket captain and Congress leader Mohammed Azharuddin, who had earlier in the day been sworn in as a minister in the Telangana Cabinet. Reddy also defended Azharuddin’s induction, criticizing the BJP for objecting to his appointment.
“Why is the BJP so upset after Azharuddin is given a ministerial post?” he asked, assuring voters that the Congress government would take full responsibility for the development of Jubilee Hills with the support of Azharuddin and Naveen Yadav.
However, the remarks linking the term “carpet bombing” to Pakistan were interpreted by many as a slight against India’s military response to terrorism, particularly during Operation Sindoor, a recent cross-border strike led by the Indian armed forces.
Reacting sharply, BJP National General Secretary and Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar took to X (formerly Twitter) to condemn the Chief Minister’s comments, calling them “below the belt” and “insulting to India’s armed forces.”
“He stooped so low, using derogatory language to say that Pakistan kicked us and India didn’t retaliate. It’s an insult to the armed forces who courageously destroyed terror camps in Pakistan during Operation Sindoor,” Bandi Sanjay wrote.
He further asserted that every Indian takes pride in the bravery of the soldiers who participated in Operation Sindoor and accused the Chief Minister of politicizing national security.
“Across the world, #OperationSindoor is being hailed — a symbol of Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi ji’s decisive strike against terrorism. The Chief Minister must unconditionally apologise to the people of India and to the brave soldiers who risked their lives for our nation,” Sanjay said.
The Congress party has yet to issue an official clarification, though party insiders claim Reddy’s comments were taken out of context and were meant to criticize the BJP’s “hyperbolic campaign style,” not the armed forces.
Political analysts say the controversy could significantly impact the Jubilee Hills by-election, where the Congress faces stiff competition from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the BJP. The incident has further intensified political tensions in Telangana, where campaign rhetoric has increasingly turned combative ahead of polling day.
As the by-election draws near, the issue has turned into a national talking point — intertwining politics, patriotism, and public sentiment in Telangana’s most-watched constituency.
