Hyderabad: The upcoming Bharat Summit 2025, set to take place in Hyderabad on April 25 and 26, has stirred political controversy, with critics accusing the Telangana government of using public resources to host what appears to be a Congress-centric event under the guise of an international summit.
While the state government has touted the event as a globally significant gathering—with over 450 delegates expected from more than 100 countries, including 40 to 50 ministers and around 50 senators and MPs—the dominance of Congress leaders in the speaker lineup has raised eyebrows.
The summit will open with a keynote address by Congress Lok Sabha leader Rahul Gandhi and conclude with speeches by senior party figures Priyanka Gandhi and KC Venugopal. This lineup has prompted widespread questions about whether the summit is truly a government initiative or effectively a Congress party event.
Adding to the criticism, prominent figures from outside the Congress party are conspicuously absent from both the inaugural and closing sessions. Observers argue that the summit, supposedly centred on global justice, equality, progressive cooperation, and bilateral relations, appears to lack the non-partisan representation expected of an international platform.
The controversy intensified after a preparatory meeting for the summit was led by Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka and attended almost exclusively by Congress leaders, including Meenakshi Natarajan and Sam Pitroda, who joined online. Critics have pointed out that the event’s planning and promotion have been handled in a manner more aligned with party operations than with a state-sponsored initiative.
Further fuelling the debate, Deputy CM Vikramarka hosted a grand dinner for select media personnel at his official residence, Praja Bhavan, to unveil details about the summit—an act many have interpreted as symbolic of the government’s and party’s blurred boundaries.
Opposition voices are accusing the Congress of leveraging government machinery and public funds for what they describe as a “party propaganda platform,” rather than a truly inclusive and globally representative summit. As the event approaches, the growing perception that Bharat Summit-2025 is a de facto Congress event continues to generate criticism across political and civil society circles.
