'Why so many Hindu gods?' Revanth Reddy's remarks stir row
What's the story
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has sparked a political controversy with his remarks on Hindu deities. Speaking at a public event, Reddy questioned the number of gods Hindus believe in and made specific comments about Hanuman being the god for unmarried people. "How many gods do Hindus believe in? Are there three crore? Why do so many exist?" he asked.
Remarks
'God for those who drink alcohol'
He added, "There is one god for those who are unmarried—Hanuman. There is another god for those who marry twice. And there is yet another god for those who drink alcohol." "For hen sacrifice, there is one; for dal and rice, there is one. Each group has its own god," he said.
Political backlash
BJP accuses Reddy of insulting Hindu beliefs
Reddy's comments have drawn sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). The BJP accused Reddy of "spewing venom against Hindu deities" and called his remarks a "deliberate, targeted insult." "The Congress and Revanth Reddy have no shame. In all meetings, they say that Congress is because of Muslims. The Chief Minister must apologize and withdraw his statement," BJP leader Chikkoti Praveen said.
Apology demanded
BRS leader criticizes Reddy for mocking Hindu deities
BRS leader Rakesh Reddy Anugula also slammed the Congress leader's remarks. He called it "unfortunate" for someone in such a high office to mock Hindu deities. Anugula demanded that Reddy explain his comments and apologize to the Hindu community, saying, "Holding the position of Congress leader and speaking inappropriately about Hindu deities... Revanth Reddy garu should immediately apologize."
Twitter Post
BJP shares video
🔹హిందూ దేవుళ్ళను అపహాస్యం చేయడం ప్రతి ఒక్కడికి ఒక ఫ్యాషన్ అయిపోయింది.
— Rakesh Reddy Anugula (@RakeshReddyBRS) December 2, 2025
🔹ఒక ముఖ్యమంత్రి స్థాయిలో ఉండి కోట్ల మంది హిందువుల మనోభావాలు దెబ్బతినే విధంగా @revanth_anumula రేవంత్ రెడ్డి గారు దేవుళ్ళ పైన కారెడ్డాలాడుతూ మాట్లాడడం దురదృష్టకరం.
🔹ఏ ఎండకు ఆ గొడుగు పట్టే రేవంత్ రెడ్డి… pic.twitter.com/zMGmVBEA4e
Previous controversies
Reddy's past remarks on Hindu gods also controversial
This isn't the first time Reddy has courted controversy with his remarks on Hindu gods. Last year, he had said that those "seeking something with a photo of a god was a beggar, not a Hindu." He had then added that "God should be in the temple, and devotion should be in the heart." "BJP leaders put a photo of god on the roads and seek votes," he said, drawing backlash from BJP leaders.