Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy presented the Raavi Narayana Reddy National Award 2025 to former Supreme Court Justice B. Sudharshan Reddy at the Raavi Narayana Reddy Auditorium in Hyderabad on Monday (February 2, 2026). | Photo credit: SIDDHANT THAKUR
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy presents veteran communist leader Raavi Narayan Reddy National Award to Justice (Retd) B. Sudharshan Reddy on February 2, 2026.
Strongly opposing those objecting to the notices served on former Chief Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said those indulging in wrongdoing must face investigation in accordance with law.
The Chief Minister hit out at BRS leaders for calling Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao the “father figure of Telangana” and questioned the reasons behind the notices being served on him. “Father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi sacrificed his life for the country. What is the contribution of this acknowledged ‘father figure’?” he asked.
The Chief Minister was speaking after presenting veteran communist leader Raavi Narayan Reddy with the National Award for Justice (Retired) B. Sudharshan Reddy here on Monday (February 2). He recalled how Telangana ideologue and professor M. Kodandaram was arrested after his house was stormed by a police gatekeeper during the BRS regime. “Wasn’t Mr. Kodandaram instrumental in rallying the agitators for a separate state? Why didn’t the then government remember his contribution to the statehood movement?” he asked.
In stark contrast, the Special Investigation Team (Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao) served him a notice to attend the interrogation and did not raid his house. “Leaders like Raavi Narayana Reddy sacrificed everything for the sake of Telangana. How can people who enjoyed posts and amassed huge wealth call themselves agitators for the cause of Telangana?”
Mr. Revanth Reddy said that the BRS leaders should have accepted the people’s verdict when they were defeated in the violence. “But they blame the people for the results. What kind of democracy is this?” he said, recalling that Dr. BR Ambedkar argued that people indulging in wrongdoing should face enquiry. Senior leaders like Shibu Soren also faced inquiries and investigations into wrongdoing were inevitable in a democracy.
Justice Sudershan Reddy described Raavi Narayan Reddy as a “yugapurusha”, a man of his time and beyond, whose life continues to inspire the social and political consciousness of Telangana.
He said the legendary leader sacrificed both life and property for the principles he believed in and put the public cause above personal interest. His seminal documentary work ‘Telangana Nagnasatyam’ is considered a profound and bold interpretation of the historical and social realities of the region.
Justice Reddy said that the issues raised in the documentary are not mere political arguments but are deep and relevant enough to critically examine the leadership’s responsibility during the historic armed struggle of peasants in Telangana for liberation and offer insights that remain relevant in the current socio-political context.
He said that one of the most debated aspects of Raavi Narayan Reddy’s position was his argument that the movement should have been stopped when Indian forces entered Hyderabad, at a time when large sections of the population welcomed the army. This attitude reflected his independent thinking and commitment to principles.
Despite donating nearly 500 acres of his land, Raavi Narayan Reddy was accused by the then Andhra Pradesh leadership of having a zamindari mindset for spreading his views. The documentary ‘Telangana Nagnasatyam’ offers a clear definition of the feudal system of the time, explains what Telangana really stands for and explores the very soul of the region, its people, struggles and aspirations and deserves serious research in universities.
Justice Sudharshan Reddy said that although Raavi Narayan Reddy was a Marxist, he was deeply influenced by the letters of Jawaharlal Nehru, the socialist ideology of Jayaprakash Narayan and the moral and ethical framework of Mahatma Gandhi. This rare synthesis of ideologies made him distinctive in the Indian political and revolutionary milieu.
Rejecting mere performance politics, Raavi Narayan Reddy was a firm believer in the substance of programs and policies, adding that leaders who rely only on dramatic gestures and token politics, without meaningful action, are bound to fail in the end.
Published – 02 Feb 2026 21:13 IST
