Congress leaders question tone of Revanth Reddy’s attack on former minister

Congress leaders criticised Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for his remarks against former Minister Jeevan Reddy, saying they were unwarranted and disrespectful, and highlighting internal dissent over leadership decisions and treatment of loyal party members 

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s sharp criticism of former Minister T Jeevan Reddy has drawn objections from several ‘original’ Congress leaders, who feel the remarks were unnecessary.

Jeevan Reddy recently quit the Congress and joined the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in the presence of party president K Chandrashekhar Rao on Monday.

Reacting to his exit, the Chief Minister accused Jeevan Reddy of switching sides for personal gain. He also said that despite being given opportunities by the Congress in Assembly and Parliament elections, the former Minister failed to win.

However, senior Congress leaders have expressed discomfort over the tone of these comments. TPCC General Secretary Katti Venkat Swamy said Jeevan Reddy had served the party for four decades and deserved respect. He urged leaders to avoid making harsh or inappropriate remarks and also advised Jeevan Reddy not to criticize the Congress.

Swamy also pointed out that several senior leaders, including Ghulam Nabi Azad and Jyotiraditya Scindia, had left the Congress in the past. “Did AICC Chief Mallikarjun Kharge or Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi make similar remarks against them,” said Swamy, who is also Jagtial Congress incharge.

Some leaders said that loyal Congress workers were being sidelined in several constituencies due to the growing influence of leaders who recently joined the party from other groups.

A senior leader from Gandhi Bhavan said Jeevan Reddy’s exit was linked to his dissatisfaction over the induction of BRS MLA Dr Sanjay into the Congress. The leader felt the State leadership should have addressed these concerns instead of criticising him.

Others also pointed to long-standing differences between Revanth Reddy and Jeevan Reddy.

“Jeevan Reddy had never actively sought positions. In fact, Revanth Reddy had opposed his appointment as TPCC president in 2021, despite approval from the party high command,” the leader alleged.