Dharma over adharma — that was the central message Union Coal and Mines Minister and BJP Telangana state president G. Kishan Reddy delivered at a Vijayadashami function in Telangana on Thursday, October 22, 2026, in an address that drew a constellation of senior constitutional figures to the dais.

The message from the dais

Speaking at the event, Kishan Reddy framed Vijayadashami in its classical idiom: 'ఆధర్మం మీద ధర్మం విజయం సాధించడమే విజయ దశమి లక్ష్యం' — 'the purpose of Vijayadashami is the victory of dharma over adharma.' He noted that Hindu festivals are celebrated on a grand scale across the world and stressed that such celebrations are only possible when the community remains united.

The minister also sharpened a political edge: invoking the name of secularism, he argued that using the principle as a cover to insult any one religion or ridicule its festivals is neither acceptable nor desirable. The remark carries clear resonance in Telangana, where debates over the conduct of public festivals have run hot in recent years.

A high-powered gathering in Telangana

The event was notable for the seniority of those assembled on a single stage. Telangana Governor Shiv P. Shukla and his wife Janaki Shukla attended, as did former Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu. Former governors Dattatreya and Vidyasagar Rao were also present. Telangana BJP president N. Ramchander Rao, along with BJP MPs, MLAs, and MLCs from the state, completed a rare gathering of both sitting and retired constitutional office-holders.

For the BJP, the optics matter as much as the oratory. Appearing together at a major cultural-religious event signals organisational depth and the party's ability to convene figures who transcend day-to-day politics — particularly significant in Telangana, where the BJP is working to consolidate its footprint after years of playing third fiddle to the BRS and Congress.

Secularism, festivals, and a recurring BJP argument

Kishan Reddy's remarks on secularism are not an isolated flash. The BJP has consistently argued that mainstream secular discourse applies an uneven hand — critical of Hindu religious expression while silent on equivalent practices of other faiths. By making that case at a Vijayadashami gathering, with a former Vice President and sitting Governor in attendance, the minister was lending institutional weight to what is otherwise a recurring party-political talking point. The audience at the event and the assembled dignitaries give the critique a gravitas it does not always carry in press conferences.

As India moves through the festival season — Diwali is weeks away — expect these themes of civilisational pride, unity, and the contested meaning of secularism to run through BJP platforms across the country. Telangana, with its active political competition, will be watching closely.