Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has told the Bharatiya Janata Party that he will rename the area in Hyderabad where its state office is located after Gummadi Vithal Rao, better known as Gaddar, if the party continues to insult the late balladeer, reported the Deccan Chronicle.

“If you insult Gaddaranna, you will be forced to write his name every time you mention your party office address,” Reddy said at the 76th birth anniversary celebrations of Gaddar on Friday. “I will name the locality after Gaddaranna.”

The Congress leader also announced plans to establish a Gaddar memorial on Necklace Road in Hyderabad and accused the BJP-led Union government of discrimination against Telangana in the selection of Padma awardees.

The controversy erupted on January 27 after Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay questioned why the Telangana government recommended Gaddar for the Padma Vibhushan, citing his association with the Maoist movement.

Gaddar, a folk singer and poet, was active in the Maoist movement from the 1980s till 2010. He also took part in the agitation seeking a separate state of Telangana, which achieved its objective in 2014.

“Giving a Padma award to those who championed Naxalism is like spitting on the graves of martyred police officers and BJP karyakartas,” Sanjay said on January 27.

Reddy criticised Sanjay’s remarks, asserting that Gaddar was an inspiration to the people.

“Gaddar has millions of fans,” he said. “The Congress government is officially observing his birth and death anniversaries to inspire future generations. The Gaddar awards for film personalities have been constituted and Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka has been assigned the responsibility of framing the selection guidelines for these awards.”

Reddy accused the BJP-led Centre of rejecting Telangana’s nominations for Padma awards, which also included educationist Chukka Ramaiah and poet Ande Sri for the Padma Bhushan, and poet-singer Goreti Venkanna and poet-historian Jayadheer Tirumala Rao for the Padma Shri.

The Telangana chief minister said the rejection of the nominees was an insult to the state and an act of discrimination. He pointed out that neighbouring Andhra Pradesh had five of its nominees approved.

He added that the Telangana government had sent a letter of protest to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Since Telangana’s formation in 2014, the state has received one Bharat Ratna, three Padma Vibhushan, seven Padma Bhushan and 41 Padma Shri awards. However, the Telangana government has alleged bias in the awards selection, noting that the state received only two Padma awards this year – a Padma Vibhushan for gastroenterologist Dr Duvvur Nageshwar Reddy and a Padma Shri for Dalit leader Manda Krishna Madiga.

While Sanjay’s comments have drawn support from some BJP colleagues, others are wary, given that Modi had praised Gaddar in a condolence message after the activist-poet’s death in August 2023, reported The Wire.

Modi had written: “The themes of his poems and folk songs in Telugu reflected the challenges faced by the disadvantaged sections of society. His creative works also provided encouragement to the people. He always remained passionate about the progress of Telangana. His contribution towards revitalising a traditional art form will be remembered by the people.”

Gaddar’s daughter, Vennela, was given a Congress ticket in the 2023 Telangana Assembly elections. She lost the election and is now chairperson of the Telangana Samskruthika Saradhi, a cultural wing of the state government.

Reddy also criticised the state’s previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi government, accusing it of ignoring Gaddar’s contributions. He said Congress leaders had ensured that Gaddar’s body was placed at LB Stadium for public viewing despite resistance from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi government at the time.

Reddy also reiterated his commitment to social justice, citing the appointment of Dalit vice chancellors at Osmania University for the first time in 50 years.

“Our government proposed Padma awards for many distinguished personalities, not just Congress leaders,” he said. “The Centre should recognise the contributions of such individuals instead of displaying bias.”