Hyderabad: BC welfare minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Monday demanded that Jana Sena chief and Andhra Pradesh deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan apologise to the people of Telangana before organising a meeting in Hyderabad. Referring to the proposed ‘Nava Nirmana Sankalpa Sabha’ to be held by Jana Sena at Gachibowli on Tuesday, coinciding with Telangana Formation Day, Prabhakar stated that the actor-politician had hurt the sentiments and self-respect of Telangana people through his past comments.
Minister questions motives
“Is Pawan Kalyan trying to push BJP’s agenda in Telangana? Being the deputy CM of AP, he should focus on problems in that state. Why is he not holding such sabhas in other BJP-ruled states like Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh or Madhya Pradesh? While anyone is welcome to join Telangana Formation Day celebrations, Pawan Kalyan should first apologise,” the minister told a media conference in Husnabad.
Recalling controversial remarks
Ponnam Prabhakar recalled a reported remark by Pawan Kalyan that “if people of Telangana cast an eye, the coconut trees of Konaseema will wither away”. He also noted that Pawan Kalyan had once stated that if Telangana state is formed, he would not eat for 11 days.
Stating that people of Telangana have love for Andhra Pradesh, the BC welfare minister made it clear that they would not tolerate any insults. “There is a strong suspicion that Pawan Kalyan is coming here to incite people after allegedly entering into a secret deal with BJP to speak in a manner that incites hatred in Telangana,” he alleged.
Warning against incitement
The minister said no real son of Telangana would attend a meeting of a person who insulted Telangana unless he apologised. “If under BJP’s direction, you incite hatred and provoke divisions in Telangana, we won’t sit quiet,” he added.
Previous warnings from other ministers
In December last year, cinematography minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy had warned that Pawan Kalyan’s movies would not be allowed to be screened in Telangana theatres if he failed to apologise over his “insulting” remarks about the new state. Pawan Kalyan had reportedly blamed the “evil eye” for “dying” coconut trees in the Konaseema region, known for lush green fields. The Jana Sena leader, who visited the region to inspect damaged coconut trees, allegedly blamed it on the “evil eye” of Telangana people. His remarks had drawn strong reactions from leaders in Telangana.
