In a controversial statement, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy credited Congress leader Sonia Gandhi for the ability to celebrate Christmas in the state. Speaking at the LB Stadium in Hyderabad, Reddy stated that the festivities were ‘only possible because of sacrifices of the Congress’ and the formation of Telangana. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) termed the remark ‘absurd’, asserting that India has naturally been a secular and liberal country for centuries. The report includes inputs from India Today correspondent Abdul Basheer.