A political row has broken out in Telangana after the Revanth Reddy government’s proposal to confer a Padma award on Gaddar alias Gummadi Vithal Rao — a revolutionary balladeer, renowned folk singer, and also a Maoist sympathiser — was ignored by the Centre. The Chief Minister was peeved that his government had recommended five names — Gaddar, educationist Chukka Ramaiah, poet Andesri, poet-singer Gorati Venkanna, and poet-historian Jayadheer Tirumala Rao — for various Padma awards and not one of them made it to the final list. He termed it an insult to the “four crore people of Telangana”. The issue escalated when the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay, commented on the State government’s decision to recommend Gaddar. He said, “Giving a Padma award to those who championed Naxalism is like spitting on the graves of martyred police officers and BJP karyakartas who fell victim to [the violence propagated by those who follow] this ideology. It is a betrayal of the families of these brave officers. How can the State even consider …