‘Growing a beard doesn’t make you Revanth Reddy’: Telangana CM takes swipe at KT Rama Rao

Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday took a swipe at Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao for allegedly copying his looks, saying “simply growing a beard does not make you look like Revanth Reddy”.

Reddy also said political posturing without substance is like a fox trying to look like a tiger, and that mere imitation would not earn KT Rama Rao, popularly known as KTR, the trust of the voters.

"Just as a fox cannot become a tiger by trying to mimic its stripes, you cannot become a tiger by imitating one. Simply growing a beard does not make you Revanth Reddy. It took him 50 years to grow a beard. Who knows how many more years it will take for him to gain some wisdom?" Reddy said, while addressing a gathering in Vikarabad.

"Until the leader changes the mindset, the people of Telangana will never trust (him),” he added.

He continued: "Even if you take 10 births or hang yourself from a toddy tree, you remain Taraka Rama Rao but cannot become Revanth Reddy in your life. You need the courage to take care of activists, keeping them close to your heart.”

There was no immediate comment from Rao or the BRS at the time of filing this report. The jibe is the latest in an ongoing war of words between the Congress and the BRS, with leaders from both parties trading barbs over governance, leadership and development in the state.

Reddy alleged that despite serving as chief minister for 10 years and the state budget touching ₹20 lakh crore, BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao has not completed any pending irrigation projects.

Though the Congress government in undivided Andhra Pradesh planned the Pranahita Chevella project to provide irrigation to over 16 lakh acres, KCR transformed it into the Kaleshwaram project by changing its location and escalating the cost, the chief minister alleged. The project was constructed by KCR and it "collapsed" during his regime, he added.

He also alleged the BRS leaders are spreading disinformation that Godavari water is going to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh due to the negligence of the Congress government.