‘Dash Mone Revanth, reply is coming’: Kerala CM’s sharp retort to Revanth Reddy sparks row

Kannur: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday issued a sharp response to criticisms from Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.

During a press conference in Kannur, when reporters highlighted Reddy’s remarks, the Chief Minister responded: “Dash mone Revanth, reply is coming.”

The CM said that a detailed response would be given to Revanth Reddy in due course, but for now, this is all he would comment. Addressing a recent comment by Reddy, Pinarayi Vijayan said this was in reply to the media’s question about Reddy referring to him as “Po mone Vijaya.”

“He is the Chief Minister of a state. A person in the position of Chief Minister is expected to maintain certain decorum and manners. Let him reflect on whether his intervention followed these norms. In any case, since he has raised it publicly, I am responding publicly. I am not elaborating further at this moment, so all I can say now is: ‘Dash mone Revanth, reply is coming,’” the CM said.

Earlier, Revanth Reddy had addressed Pinarayi Vijayan as “Nee po mone Vijaya” in his remarks. Reddy had also stated that he is ready for a direct discussion with the Kerala CM regarding Telangana’s development. Following this, Reddy released a letter inviting the Chief Minister for a discussion, ending it again with the phrase “Nee po mone Vijayan.”

Addressing the political scenario ahead of the Keralam Assembly polls, Reddy said, "Pinarayi Vijayan's expiry date is over, and people are going to take a firm decision in the elections... Pinarayi Vijayan's godfather is Narendra Modi, who is protecting him from all the cases."

Reddy also expressed his willingness to engage in a direct, fact-based debate with Vijayan, amid an intensifying political exchange between the two leaders ahead of the 2026 Keralam Assembly elections.

Speaking on the controversy over his earlier "dark era" remarks about Keralam, Reddy said, "I am ready to debate with Pinarayi Vijayan whenever he gives me the opportunity. My point is, who is his role model? Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, or Jyoti Basu and Somnath Chatterjee? Pinarayi Vijayan is following Narendra Modi as his role model, and this is not acceptable to the people of Keralam. He is campaigning like one more Narendra Modi."

He further downplayed Vijayan's claims of Keralam's development achievements, attributing the state's success to previous leaders and natural advantages rather than the ruling LDF government.

"Keralam's success story is not Pinarayi Vijayan's success story. There were K Karunakaran and Oommen Chandy who laid down the roadmap for the development of Kerala. God has given natural resources and better health to the people of Keralam, it is not because of Pinarayi Vijayan. It has nothing to do with the LDF government," Reddy added.