The Telangana cabinet headed by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has decided to change its official abbreviation and adopt a new state anthem. Telangana Talli, the symbolic mother goddess of the state, will also be reimagined in a new look.

Andre Sri’s ‘Jaya Jaya Ho Telangana’ will be made the state anthem while the state’s abbreviation will be changed to TG from TS. The ruling dispensation has accused the former regime to have chosen ‘TS’ to match their party name. Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) was earlier known as Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), which was changed to reflect their national aspirations.

The cabinet also decided to hold a caste census in the state – in line with the Congress’s promise to hold it across the nation after coming to power. Mr Reddy had last month said that caste census will be taken up in the state soon.

These were among the decisions announced ahead of the Telangana budget session that begins Thursday.

Chief Minister Reddy has also challenged his predecessor K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), his son KT Rama Rao (KTR) and nephew Harish Rao for a debate on the floor of the assembly on irrigation projects. BRS has accepted the challenge.

The Congress and the BRS have been locked in a war of words, accusing the other side of letting down the interests of the state and the farmers.

The state government will also implement gas and power guarantees during the session – the Chief Minister will make the announcements in the assembly.

The cabinet has also issued orders to allocate 100 acres for a new high court complex in Rajendranagar district.

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren arrived in assembly today amid tight security as Champai Soren – who stepped into his shoes after his arrest – faced a trust vote to prove his government’s majority.

Addressing the assembly, Mr Soren alleged that even Raj Bhavan had a role to play in his arrest. “On the night of January 31, for the first time in the country, a chief minister was arrested…and I believe that Raj Bhavan was also involved in this incident,” he said.

“The day will be remembered as a black chapter in India’s history,” Mr Soren said.

He said Champen Soren has full support of the ruling alliance in Jharkhand.

A special court in Ranchi had allowed Hemant Soren, also the Executive President of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) to take part in the trust vote – a litmus test for the Champai Soren-led government.

Mr Soren pleaded before the court that he is a member of the assembly and has a right to participate in the special session which is crucial for his party.

Champai Soren, veteran leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, took oath as the new Chief Minister of Jharkhand on Friday, days after Hemant Soren was arrested.

The Enforcement Directorate has alleged that Hemant Soren is involved in a Rs 600-crore land scam and the laundering of its proceeds.

The land scam involves a “huge racket” to change of ownership of government land and selling it to builders, the agency has alleged.

The agency has so far arrested 14 people in the case, including 2011-batch IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan who served as the director of the state Social Welfare Department and deputy commissioner of Ranchi.

Mr Soren has claimed that he is the target of a huge conspiracy.

In an emotionally charged speech in the Assembly just before the big majority test, jailed Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren said he would not shed tears today because the tears of tribals and backward sections do not matter.

Mr Soren, facing allegations of money laundering, resigned as Chief Minister on January 31. He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate soon after. Backed by MLAs from JMM, the Congress and other allies, Mr Soren’s close aide Champai Soren has taken the oath as Chief Minister. He faces the majority test in the Assembly shortly.

Addressing the Assembly, Hemant Soren said Champai Soren has the full support of the JMM-led alliance. Targeting the BJP-led central government over his arrest, he referred to a night of January 31 as a “dark chapter” in the country’s democracy. Bringing a serious allegation against the Governor’s office, he alleged that Raj Bhavan “was also involved” in the events leading to his arrest.

Mr Soren said the alleged conspiracy to arrest him was in the works for long. “It was being cooked over a low flame. This was executed in a well-planned manner,” he said.

Invoking Dalit icon BR Ambedkar, Mr Soren flagged atrocities against backward sections. “What happened on January 31 was another example of that. The ruling dispensation’s hatred towards these communities (is on display),” he said.

The former Chief Minister said he is at a loss to understand the source of this hatred. “Someone close to them does not even hesitate to say that we (tribals) must continue to live in the jungle. We left the jungle, came and sat next to them and their clothes are soiled. They see us as untouchables. If left to them, we would be back in the jungle,” he said. “They have a problem that I travel on planes, they have a problem that I stay in five-star hotels, ride in a BMW,” he said.  

The remarks were an apparent response to comments made by a section of media that had suggested that Hemant Soren’s stay in jail would remind him of a “stay in the jungle as an Adivasi 20 years back”. The remarks have drawn a sharp response from JMM and other tribal outfits.

Mr Soren said he has not accepted defeat. “They feel they will be successful in their machinations. But this is Jharkhand, a state where tribals and Dalits have made sacrifices,” he said.

Mr Soren said the central agencies cannot do anything to those who stole crores and fled abroad. “What they can do is target tribals and innocents,” he said.

He dared the BJP to show proof that the 8.5 acre plot, which is at the centre of the case against him, is registered in his name. “If they can show that, I will quit politics,” he said. “I will not cry because the tears of tribals do not matter to you. At the right time, I will respond to their every conspiracy,” he said.

Mr Soren also targeted BJP leaders from Jharkhand “who bow before those with feudal mindset”. “It has been 24 years since Jharkhand was formed. Which party was in power for the longest time? All corruption started in 2019?”

“They do not want tribals to rise. They do not want us to become judges, IPS or IAS officers. They do not want us to become leaders,” he said, adding that he knew that hurdles will be created to ensure that he does not complete his five-year term.