India, June 11 -- A political defence of demolition drives. An Adolf Hitler cameo. A fictional Nazi-linked organisation from the Marvel universe. And a monster from ancient Greek mythology.

These aren't the ingredients of a superhero crossover film. They are the parts of a controversy that erupted after Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy spoke about HYDRAA, or Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency, earlier this month.

Explaining the inspiration behind the body's name and functioning, Reddy said he was inspired by Hitler, and suggested that the Nazi Germany leader's core assassination squad was called "Hydra". The remarks quickly triggered outrage: opposition parties accused him of invoking a dictator to justify tou...