Culture Clash: The Battle Over Telangana Thalli Statues

The Congress government's unveiling of a new 'Telangana Thalli' statue sparked controversy in Telangana. BRS MLC K Kavitha criticized the move, pledging to install statues of the 'original' design across villages. The government issued orders against altering the statue's design, intensifying political tensions.

The ruling Congress government recently inaugurated an official statue of 'Telangana Thalli' (Mother Telangana), igniting controversy over state identity and culture. BRS MLC K Kavitha, daughter of BRS leader K Chandrasekhar Rao, criticized the new design and vowed to install 'original' statues in every village.

The inauguration, led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, took place on December 9 at the Secretariat, aligning with Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's birthday. This move reignited political tensions, as the statue's design differed from that historically used in statehood movements.

A Government Order now prohibits misrepresenting 'Telangana Thalli' and criminalizes disrespecting the statue publicly or online. Despite these measures, Kavitha declared her intention to continue with widespread installation of statues in the traditional design.

(With inputs from agencies.)