Praveen Kumar asks Harvard to revoke Revanth’s certificate

BRS general secretary RS Praveen Kumar has written to the Harvard Kennedy School, urging it to immediately revoke the certificate issued to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and to re-examine its admission process for executive programmes to prevent such high-voltage embarrassments.

The BRS leader wrote a letter to the Harvard Dean Weinstein and President Alan Garber expressing dismay and outrage at the recent award of a completion certificate in the ‘Leadership in the 21st Century: Chaos, Conflict, and Courage’ executive education program to A Revanth Reddy, the sitting Chief Minister of Telangana, India.

Praveen Kumar said that this decision reeks of institutional recklessness. “Revanth Reddy stands accused in 89 criminal cases--the highest among any Indian Chief Minister--according to affidavits analysed by the Association for Democratic Reforms, including 72 serious IPC charges.

He was infamously caught red-handed in a 2015 cash-for-vote scandal by the Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau, attempting to bribe a fellow legislator, resulting in his arrest and approximately 50 days in jail (initial remand extended),” said Praveen Kumar.

The BRS leader said that the CM, now presiding over a state government—openly indulges in divisive politics along caste and communal lines, hurls unparliamentarily abuse at opponents and their families, and weaponises fake cases to persecute rivals.

Such conduct mocks the very values of ethical leadership, civility and public service that HKS claims to instil in its classrooms. How can Harvard Kennedy School, an institution that has been shaping global and ethical leaders in various fields for 400 years, stoop to issuing certificates to politicians with such dubious credentials? No rigorous background check, formal interview, or due diligence appears to have been conducted while granting admission to Revanth Reddy.

He wanted re examining the admission processes for executive programmes to prevent such high voltage embarrassments. Failure to act will only confirm that Harvard’s prestige was now for sale to the highest bidder—or the most notorious. Shame on Harvard, he said.