India, Dec. 21 -- A political controversy has surfaced ahead of Christmas after Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy credited Congress leader Sonia Gandhi with the celebration of Christmas in the state, drawing sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP accused the Congress of indulging in sycophancy and insulting the Christian community.

Reddy made the remarks while addressing Christmas celebrations organised by the state government on Saturday.

During his speech, he also referred to the Congress government in neighbouring Karnataka, saying it has already introduced a bill to punish hate speech against other religions.

His comments were widely circulated on social media.

Reacting strongly, BJP spokesperson Shehz...