BJP slams Telangana minister Konda Surekha over Lord Ram remarks row
Synopsis
Telangana Endowments Minister Konda Surekha is at the centre of a political storm after BJP alleged she made insulting remarks about Lord Ram at a Warangal event. The minister says her words were distorted; BJP is demanding her resignation from the sacred Endowments portfolio and an unconditional apology to Hindu society.
Key Takeaways
Telangana BJP attacked Endowments Minister Konda Surekha on 6 May over allegedly insulting remarks against Lord Ram made at the Farmers' Mega Mela in Warangal .
Minister Surekha denied the allegations, saying her remarks were distorted and that her actual target was the Centre's alleged discrimination against Telangana in temple funding.
Telangana BJP declared she had no moral right to continue as Endowments Minister and demanded an immediate, unconditional apology to Hindu society.
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar also criticised Surekha, linking the controversy to a broader pattern of opposition leaders making remarks on Hindu faith.
The state government claims it has allocated thousands of crores of rupees for temple development across Telangana.
Telangana's ruling Congress government found itself on the defensive on Tuesday, 6 May, after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders launched a sharp attack on State Endowments Minister Konda Surekha over remarks she allegedly made against Lord Ram at a public event in Warangal. The minister denied the characterisation, insisting her words were deliberately distorted.
What the Minister Said — and What She Claims She Meant
Minister Konda Surekha stated in an official clarification that the remarks in question were made during the Farmers' Mega Mela held at Warangal and were subsequently misrepresented and circulated out of context. She said her actual intent was to question the Centre and the Telangana BJP leadership for allegedly neglecting temple development in Telangana while directing funds to other states — what she described as deliberate discrimination against the state.
Surekha, who holds the Endowments portfolio, also pointed to the state government's record, claiming it had allocated thousands of crores of rupees for temple development across Telangana. She asserted that she was discharging her ministerial duties with complete dedication.
BJP's Counterattack: Demands Apology, Questions Moral Authority
The Telangana BJP was unsparing in its response. The party declared that Surekha had forfeited the moral right to hold the Endowments portfolio and demanded an immediate, unconditional apology to Hindu society.
In a post on X from the official Telangana BJP account, the party alleged that the minister had compared the chant of 'Jai Shri Ram' to coins — a charge the minister disputes. The post read:
Point of View
The opposition frames them as an attack on Hindu sentiment, and the minister retreats into a 'distortion' defence. What is notable here is the BJP's deliberate elevation of this incident to the national level through Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar, who linked Surekha's remarks to a string of similar controversies involving non-BJP state leaders — from Pinarayi Vijayan to Mamata Banerjee. That framing is less about Telangana and more about building a pre-election narrative around Hindu identity politics. The Congress government in Telangana, meanwhile, faces the familiar bind of defending a minister while not wanting to be seen as dismissive of religious sentiment.
NationPress
6 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Telangana Minister Konda Surekha allegedly say about Lord Ram?
BJP alleged that Minister Konda Surekha made insulting remarks about Lord Ram at the Farmers' Mega Mela in Warangal, including allegedly comparing the chant 'Jai Shri Ram' to coins. The minister denied this, saying her remarks were distorted and that she was actually criticising the Centre for neglecting temple development in Telangana.
Why is BJP demanding Konda Surekha's apology?
The Telangana BJP said Surekha's alleged remarks ridiculed Lord Ram and showed contempt for Hindu sentiment, and that she had no moral right to continue as Endowments Minister — the portfolio responsible for overseeing temples. The party demanded an immediate and unconditional apology to Hindu society.
What is the Endowments Ministry in Telangana?
The Endowments Department in Telangana oversees the administration and development of Hindu religious institutions, including temples, across the state. Konda Surekha currently holds this portfolio in the Congress-led Telangana government.
How did Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar respond?
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar criticised Surekha on X, arguing that attacks on Hindutva increasingly carry electoral consequences. He listed several opposition leaders — including Pinarayi Vijayan, M.K. Stalin, Mamata Banerjee, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, and K. Chandrashekar Rao — as examples of politicians who faced voter backlash after making remarks perceived as anti-Hindu.
What has the Telangana government said about temple funding?
Minister Konda Surekha stated that the Telangana state government has allocated thousands of crores of rupees for temple development across the state, and that her original remarks were aimed at questioning the Centre's alleged discrimination against Telangana in religious infrastructure funding.
