BRS has no right to fight over Telangana Talli, says Vijayashanthi

Hyderabad (The Uttam Hindu): Actor-politician Vijayashanthi on Monday said that the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has no right to fight over the change in the design of the 'Telangana Talli' (Mother Telangana) statue. Vijayashanthi recalled that in 2007, the first Telangana Talli statue was unveiled by the Talli Telangana Party, floated by her. In a post on ‘X’, she said that BS Ramulu had designed Telangana Talli as the mother of the poor, weak, and marginalised communities. Vijayashanthi, who is now with the Congress, stated the then TRS, which is now the BRS, did not design Telangana Talli.

"Subsequently, the TRS (BRS) unveiled a statue of Telangana Talli at their TRS office. However, for 10 years when they were in power, they never provided official status and respect to Telangana Talli," she wrote. The veteran actor-turned-politician mentioned that the present Congress government under the leadership of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy gave official status, and respect and also laid down government policy for Telangana Talli. "How does a political party like BRS have a right to fight over the change in the design of Telangana Talli," she asked. The former MP said that Telangana activists could also have fought when the BRS changed the design of Telangana Talli.

"Our Bonalu and Bathukamma culture has been and will continue for generations. There is no need for the involvement of political parties for their own interests," she added. Vijayashanthi’s comments came amid a protest by the BRS over the modified Telangana Talli statue, unveiled at the state Secretariat on December 9. While the Congress claims that it reflects the true culture and traditions of Telangana, the BRS has accused it of insulting Telangana’s heritage. BRS leaders have called the modified statue ‘Congress Talli’ as it displays the party’s poll symbol - the ‘hand’.

The omission of Bathukamma in the modified design has angered the BRS. In the earlier design, the mother was shown carrying Bathukamma (specially arranged flowers) in her left hand and plants in her right hand but in the modified version, the mother is seen carrying plants in her left hand and showing ‘Abhaya Mudra’ with her right hand. BRS MLC K. Kavitha has launched a protest against the Congress government’s action. She is leading protest programmes by playing ‘Bathukamma’ with other women leaders and workers of the party.