We can’t become second-grade citizens in India due to Centre’s policies: Revanth Reddy

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A. Revanth Reddy, Chief Minister of Telangana, in conversation with N. Ram, Director, The Hindu Group, at the sixth edition of The Hindu Huddle 2026, in Bengaluru on Saturday, June 06, 2026. | Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy cautioned that India’s federal balance and governance outcomes would determine whether citizens, particularly in southern States, are treated as equal stakeholders or reduced to “second-grade citizens”.

In a conversation with The Hindu Group Director N. Ram at the two-day The Hindu Huddle in Bengaluru on ‘By, for, and of the people: Good governance for Telangana’, the Chief Minister said southern States would not accept an imbalance in political power distribution.

The BJP, he alleged, was trying hard to widen this gap through the delimitation process, and linking it to women’s reservation to hide the core issue. “The Congress is ready even now for the implementation of the women’s reservation Bill if it is the primary intention,” he said.

Also read: Click here to see our live updates from Day 2 of The Hindu Huddle

He credited the Congress with playing a historic role in women’s empowerment and said women have consistently played a crucial part in landmark political and social transformations in the country. Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, as the “Iron Lady”, liberated Bangladesh from Pakistan, and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi “courageously took a decision on separate Telangana”, Mr. Reddy said.

During the wide-ranging conversation, the Chief Minister said that Telangana is positioning itself as a global investment destination and not limiting its competitiveness to neighbouring States. “We are not competing with Maharashtra or Andhra Pradesh. We are competing with China, Japan, South Korea, and Germany,” he said, adding that his approach follows a ‘China+1’ strategy to attract global investments.

Mr. Reddy said he actively studies international best practices and is open to learning from multiple sources, i