Revanth dares Kerala CM Vijayan for one-on-one meeting amid verbal war

Hyderabad: The war of words between the Telangana and Kerala leadership has escalated, with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy inviting his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan for a direct meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on April 7.

Revanth Reddy, who is scheduled to leave for Kerala on Monday night, proposed a face-to-face discussion backed by “concrete statistics” to address the claims and counterclaims being made on social media. The invitation came through a detailed six-page letter in response to recent comments by Vijayan.

In his letter, Revanth Reddy urged his Kerala counterpart to verify facts before criticising Telangana’s development trajectory. He emphasised that comparisons should be grounded in accurate and updated data rather than selective figures.

Responding to remarks from the Kerala leadership, Revanth Reddy dismissed accusations that the Congress acts as a “B-team” of the BJP, terming such claims “absurd.” He stated that his comments reflect sentiments expressed by people during his interactions in Kerala.

Referring to the Kerala gold smuggling case, the Chief Minister pointed out that around 30 kg of gold was seized from diplomatic baggage at Thiruvananthapuram airport in 2020. He noted that senior officials, including former Principal Secretary M Sivasankar, were arrested and investigated by enforcement agencies.

Revanth Reddy also cited statements made by key accused Swapna Suresh, who allegedly linked the Kerala Chief Minister’s Office to the case during the investigation. He questioned why, despite developments such as the Enforcement Directorate registering an ECIR in January 2026 and conducting searches across multiple states, further action involving central agencies has not progressed.

The Telangana CM further referred to alleged irregularities related to gold plating works at the Sabarimala Temple, which is managed by the Travancore Devaswom Board. He questioned the state government’s oversight and accountability in such matters.

On the issue of Telangana officials studying Kerala’s land management system, Revanth Reddy clarified that his government openly adopts best practices from across regions. He referred to the visit of Telangana’s Revenue and Survey team to Thiruvananthapuram in September 2025 to study the ‘Ente Bhoomi’ digital land records initiative.

He emphasized that while Telangana is willing to learn from Kerala’s administrative systems, it does not endorse what he described as flaws in political governance. “The Congress model is to learn, adapt, and implement best practices from anywhere,” he stated. Revanth Reddy accused the Kerala government of hypocrisy, contrasting its promotion of “God’s Own Country” with the controversies highlighted in his remarks. He maintained that criticism of governance should not be confused with criticism of administrative innovations.