Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], November 13 (ANI): Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Friday strongly defended the scheduled participation of Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi at the ongoing 48-hour ‘Bharat Summit’ in Hyderabad, questioning political opposition and invoking historical examples of bipartisan cooperation.
Addressing the media, Reddy highlighted that Gandhi’s visit to Telangana serves a dual purpose which is to formally unveil the state administration’s targeted policy for gig workers and to address the summit representing a broader national outlook.
“Today, I would like to remind Modi that Rahul Gandhi is the LoP, a former Congress President, and the son and grandson of former Prime Ministers of India who sacrificed their lives for the nation. It is for this reason that Rahul Gandhi is visiting Telangana, at our invitation, to unveil our ‘Gig Workers Policy.’ He is also here to deliver a message on behalf of the nation at the Bharat Summit. I fail to understand why the BJP finds this problematic,” he added.
Addressing political pushback against Gandhi’s involvement, Reddy drew parallels to past political traditions emphasising engagement between ruling administrations and opposition figures.
“We aim to incorporate the suggestions that arise into future national policy once Rahul Gandhi becomes the Prime Minister. This is not a new tradition; when Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was Prime Minister, he initiated the Non-Alignment Movement, bridging the divide between the Left and the Right. Every subsequent Prime Minister has continued this practice in their own way. During his tenure as Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi once sent Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was then in the opposition, as part of a delegation abroad,” Revanth Reddy said.
Reddy further stated that the state-organised summit running on November 13 and 14 has drawn nearly 1,000 delegates and experts from 70 countries to deliberate on critical global and domestic issues, including environmental sustainability, infrastructure development, investment, and democratic frameworks.
He said, “The Telangana State Government has organised a 48-hour event, the ‘Bharat Summit’, taking place on the 13th and 14th. Nearly a thousand invitees from 70 countries have arrived. We will hold discussions on topics such as the environment, infrastructure, investment, and democracy. Experts will engage in deliberations over these two days, and resolutions are expected to emerge. We intend to implement these resolutions within the state of Telangana.”
According to the Telangana Chief Minister, the Government of Telangana organised the Bharat Summit on November 13 and 14 to tell the world about all the details related to why the State of Telangana is a favourable destination for investors, including infrastructure, human resources, climate, and the investments of the Fortune 500 companies located here. Last year too, the Bharat Summit was held prior to the Global Summit.
The Government of Telangana is organising the Invest Telangana Global Summit 2026 program on December 7, 8, and 9. By organising this program, the state government is moving forward to establish that Telangana is the most favourable state for investments, and that it will provide all necessary facilities such as technical skills, atmosphere, and working culture for global investment companies to come here and make investments. As part of this, curtain-raiser programs were held in Bengaluru, Chennai, and Delhi, and similar programs will soon be held in Mumbai and Ahmedabad as well.
As part of this, the Bharat Summit is organised on November 13 and 14, where 1,000 delegates from 70 countries have been invited. After many people were issued visas, they got ready to visit India, and upon arriving at the airport, the central government cancelled their visas at the very last minute and obstructed their visit, the CM stated.
Countering the backlash following the summit, the Chief Minister alleged that both BRS and BJP are taking action today against the people of Telangana and whenever the Government of Telangana takes decisions favourable to the people, they blindly try to oppose them.
“Not only this, Union Minister Kishan Reddy, BJP President Ram Chander Rao and BRS Working President K. T. R. are calling this an anti-Bharat summit, while some others are alleging that this summit has no benefits and that government funds are being wasted,” Telangana CM said. (ANI)
