Strong political reactions erupted in Telangana following ‘controversial’ remarks made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Tejasvi Surya in Parliament on Thursday (April 16, 2026), where he compared the “division of Andhra Pradesh” [formation of Telangana] with partition of India. He said the “division” was worse than the Country’s partition.
The comments triggered criticism from leaders across party lines, with Telangana BC Welfare and Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K. T. Rama Rao seeking an apology and terming his statement as an affront to Telangana’s identity and history.
Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan in Hyderabad on Thursday, the Transport Minister termed the remarks made in the Parliament as “an attack on the self-respect of Telangana people” and “a distortion of history.”
“Telangana was not born out of violence but through a democratic and constitutional process. Comparing such a sacred movement with the country’s partition is not just incorrect, but deeply insulting,” he said. He warned that such statements could fuel misunderstandings among States, create divisions among people, and undermine national unity.
