‘Lifetime Achievement’: Revanth Reddy Equates Sonia’s Praise Letter To Nobel, Oscar; BJP Reacts | Politics News

Last Updated:July 25, 2025, 10:27 IST

While addressing a presentation of Telangana’s caste census in New Delhi, CM Revanth Reddy said Sonia Gandhi’s words of praise were like a “lifetime achievement award” to him.

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy addressing Congress MPs in New Delhi. (Congress/X)

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy sparked a political buzz after he compared veteran Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s letter of praise as a “lifetime achievement award”, an Oscar and a Nobel Prize.

Revanth Reddy shared a letter by Sonia Gandhi, the current Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party, who thanked him for inviting her to an event at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi on Thursday.

“While I would have been delighted to be part of this significant and auspicious occasion, I regret that due to prior commitments, I will be unable to attend. However, I extend my warmest greetings and best wishes to you and all participants for a successful and memorable event,” Sonia Gandhi wrote in the letter.

“Madam Sonia Gandhi, our leader, icon of sacrifice, diety who made the dream of a separate Telangana possible… Her letter of appreciation is the acme of achievement and the peak of satisfaction,” Reddy wrote on X.

‘More Than An Oscar…’

While addressing a presentation on caste census to Congress MPs in New Delhi in the presence of Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Reddy unveiled the ‘Telangana Socio-Economic Survey – Model and Methodology’ exercise, calling it the RaRe model (based on Rahul Gandhi-Revanth Reddy).

In an emotional speech, the Telangana CM showed a handwritten letter from Sonia Gandhi praising the survey and described it as “more valuable than a Nobel Prize or an Oscar,” and “personal lifetime achievement.”

“If anyone has an issue calling it the Telangana Model of Caste Census, we can call it the RaRe model,” he added. The survey comprised 88,000 pages of data gathered from self-declared “foolproof” data from door-to-door surveys, showing that OBCs constituted over 56% of Telangana’s population, while SCs contributed 17.4%, STs 10.9% and 3.9% with “no castes”.

BJP, BRS Hit Back

The BJP hit back at Reddy’s remarks on Sonia Gandhi, saying there was no limit to sycophancy in Congress. “Revanth Reddy, after receiving a letter of praise from Sonia Gandhi, went as far as comparing her to a deity — this is pure devotion to their political family,” said BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala.

“If the caste survey in Telangana is really so good, then why don’t they make an OBC Chief Minister in Telangana or Karnataka?” he added.

BRS leader Dr Krishank mocked the CM, saying, “How can a letter from Sonia Gandhi ji of not being able to attend be called as a Lifetime Achievement or Oscar Award for CM Revanth.”

Revanth Reddy also criticised the BJP at the event, accusing the party of resisting caste census efforts and asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a “legally converted OBC,” whose caste was officially recognized in that category only after he assumed the position of Gujarat Chief Minister.

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More

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