Revanth Reddy says he took ‘inspiration from Hitler’ for HYDRAA, rivals slam ‘Emergency mindset’

3 min readUpdated: Jun 7, 2026 12:37 PM IST

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has triggered a controversy with his statement that the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) drew its name and concept from German dictator Adolf Hitler’s “fondness for the word Hydra”.

“Hydra, the word is Hitler’s favourite word. His core team was called Hydra, which could assassinate anyone. So, I have taken inspiration from Hitler and named it HYDRAA,” he said at a conclave in Bengaluru on Saturday.

The BJP and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) were quick to criticise the Congress leader’s comment, suggesting that this was an indication of his “dictatorial” mindset.

While HYDRAA’s role in demolishing encroachments in Hyderabad has been controversial, Reddy defended its record at the conclave, saying it was protecting lakes and safeguarding government lands, and suggested that the model should be replicated in other cities. He said major cities like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Delhi need dedicated solutions to tackle environmental challenges, flooding, and illegal encroachments.

However, picking up on the CM’s reference to Hitler, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accused Reddy asked if senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, would take action against him.

In a post on X, Poonawalla wrote, “Revanth Reddy is now openly boasting that Hitler inspired him to create HYDRAA. This is Congress’s tanashahi mindset. From Indira’s Emergency to Revanth’s crackdown on journalists and students.”

Union minister and Secunderabad BJP MP G Kishan Reddy, in a post on X, also referenced the Emergency and alleged that the Congress has “always muzzled people of the country”. Reddy wrote, “Congress’s dangerous Hitler, Emergency mindset is out in the open yet again. Revanth Reddy is now openly boasting that Hitler inspired him to create HYDRAA and is comparing his demolitions in Hyderabad to those in war-torn countries like Iran and Israel, echoing his leader Rahul Gandhi’s language.” Kishan Reddy demanded an unconditional apology from the Congress and Revanth Reddy.

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Earlier this year, the Telangana High Court had expressed strong displeasure over the functioning of HYDRAA, comparing its recent demolition activities to a “war-like situation” which “cannot be countenanced”.

The High Court in April ordered a status quo on the subject property and issued a stern directive restricting HYDRAA’s future activities. The action came in a case pertaining to the demolition of a century-old structure by HYDRAA on farmland owned by the 98-year-old petitioner, M A Shareef.

Nikhila Henry is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Hyderabad. With a career spanning 17 years, she has established herself as an authoritative voice on South Indian affairs, specialising in the complex intersections of politics, education, and social justice.
Experience & Career: Nikhila commenced her journalism career in 2007 as an education correspondent for The Times of India in Hyderabad,where she gained recognition for her coverage of student politics. Her professional trajectory includes a four-year tenure at The Hindu, where she focused on minority affairs and social welfare. In 2019, she took on a leadership role as the South Bureau Chief for The Quint, where she directed regional coverage across all five South Indian states. Her expansive career also includes a tenure at the BBC in New Delhi and contributions to prestigious international outlets such as The Sunday Times (London) and HuffPost India.

Expertise & Focus Areas
Nikhila’s reportage is marked by a deep-seated understanding of grassroots movements and institutional policy. Her core focus areas include:

Regional Politics: Comprehensive analysis of the socio-political dynamics across South India.

Education & Student Movements: Chronicling the evolution of Indian academics and the rise of youth activism.

Minority Affairs: Rigorous reporting on the welfare, rights, and challenges facing marginalized communities.

National Beat: Elevating regional stories to national prominence through investigative and on-ground reporting.

Authoritativeness & Trust
A respected figure in Indian media, Nikhila is not only a seasoned reporter but also an accomplished author and editor. She authored the critically acclaimed book The Ferment: Youth Unrest in India and edited Caste is Not a Rumour, a collection of writings by Rohith Vemula. Her dual background in daily news reporting and long-form authorship allows her to provide readers with a nuanced, historically-informed perspective on contemporary Indian society.

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