Congress Hosts Bharat Summit Amid BJP and BRS Protests

The Indian National Congress is hosting the second Bharat Summit at the HITEX exhibition centre in Hyderabad on November 13 and 14, 2026. The event brings together approximately 1,000 delegates from 70 countries, including policymakers and business representatives, to discuss cooperative federalism, electoral integrity, and India's strategic response to a new global order. As part of the summit, the party is forming a new think tank called Our World.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and the Telangana government are hosting the gathering. Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, is scheduled to address the summit and meet with roughly six lakh gig workers to announce welfare measures.

The event has triggered intense political backlash. The Bharatiya Janata Party has labeled the gathering an Anti-Bharat Summit, with Telangana BJP President N Ramchander Rao alleging the event facilitates collaboration between the Gandhi family and anti-India forces. BJP leader Gudur Narayana Reddy further claimed the state government is misusing public funds for the personal PR of Rahul Gandhi.

Simultaneously, Bharat Rashtra Samithi working president KT Rama Rao accused Gandhi of using the summit as a propaganda stunt funded by 100 crore rupees of taxpayers' money. Rama Rao criticized Gandhi for remaining silent on state issues, including police crackdowns on students, the mistreatment of tribal women in Lagacharla, and home demolitions conducted by HYDRAA. The Congress-led government defended its demolition drives as necessary actions against illegal encroachments to prevent flooding.