Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar has taken objection to remarks made by BJP MP Tejasvi Surya in Parliament and has now written to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, asking him to step in.
The controversy centres on Surya’s comparison of the Telangana state formation with the India and Pakistan partition. Prabhakar said the remark was inappropriate and warned that such statements can create unnecessary friction between people of the two Telugu states. He urged Naidu to write to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and seek the removal of these comments from official records.
In his letter, the Minister questioned the logic behind the comparison. He pointed out that Andhra Pradesh and Telangana do not share any hostile relationship. There are no border disputes or tensions between them. He said such comments only create divisions where none exist.
Prabhakar also reminded Naidu of his long tenure as Chief Minister of the undivided Andhra Pradesh. He said Naidu is well aware of the aspirations that led to the Telangana movement. He stressed that the state was formed after decades of struggle and sacrifice and through a constitutional process approved by Parliament and the President.
The Minister further expressed concern over statements made by leaders from alliance parties in Andhra Pradesh. He said remarks from BJP and Jana Sena leaders are unnecessarily provoking sentiments and could harm the relationship between the two states. He maintained that such comments undermine the dignity of Telangana.
He also recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s earlier remarks in Parliament, where he had described the bifurcation as “killing the mother to separate the child.” He argued that a party which once backed statehood cannot now claim that the division was unjust, and said it has no moral ground to take such a position today.
At the same time, the decision to involve Chandrababu Naidu has triggered debate. Critics argue that the issue is political and parliamentary in nature and does not directly involve the Andhra Pradesh government. They question the need to bring Naidu into the controversy.
Prabhakar, however, called for restraint and responsibility from public representatives. He said people of both states are living peacefully and working together. He added that leaders should avoid statements that disturb this balance. It now remains to be seen whether Chandrababu Naidu responds to the request or chooses to stay away from the matter.
