Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy contrasted northern and southern religious traditions, asserting Dravidians worship Shiva and Aryans worship Ram, and called Shiva the deity of the poor. Critics said his remarks stoked regional and religious divides. Historians note Shaivism's prominence in Tamil Nadu arose from medieval patronage and a 19th-century neo-Saiva revival, amid diverse southern traditions.
