Reddy's comments follow a broader pattern of southern non-BJP leaders making remarks on Hindu religious figures that have triggered national controversy. In Tamil Nadu, DMK ministers have repeatedly made comments questioning aspects of Hinduism, including a claim by a minister that there is "no history" establishing Lord Ram's existence, and an earlier call by another DMK leader to "annihilate" Sanatana Dharma, which put the DMK and its ally Congress on the defensive against BJP charges of insulting Hindus.