Published Jun 03, 2026 | 6:44 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 03, 2026 | 7:06 PM
KTR lashes out at Pawan Kalyan. (X)
Synopsis: KTR questioned Kalyan’s remarks on regionalism, seeking to know why the Telangana movement was being singularly targeted when such movements elsewhere were being celebrated. “If regionalism is dangerous, was Potti Sriramulu’s 58-day fast demanding a separate Andhra State also regionalism? Was that wrong?” he wondered.
BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) termed the Congress “the first enemy of Telangana” and blamed it for betraying the aspirations of the Telangana movement repeatedly.
KTR was addressing a “Meet the Press” programme at the Hyderabad Press Club on Wednesday, 3 June. He claimed the Revanth Reddy government had made Telangana fall behind after the rapid growth he state had clocked under former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao.
The BRS MLA also said that the Congress government had run up massive borrowings in a short period and failed the farmers, youth, employees, women, and other sections of society.
Such was the government’s “utter disaster,” that if elections were held now, the BRS would win more than 90 Assembly seats, the former IT minister asserted.
KTR did not spare the BJP either accusing the party of working with the Congress to scupper Telangana’s interests.
He went on say that BRS President KCR remained the party’s “trump card” and was confident that the people of Telangana would prove that by giving a decisive mandate when they queued up to vote next.
Also Read: Pawan Kalyan would do well to bother about Andhra. He’s a non-entity in Telangana
The BRS leader also lashed out at Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Sri Pawan Kalyan for his recent remarks regarding the state.
“We respect Pawan Kalyan garu as the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. We admire him as an actor. If he comes to our home, we will welcome him warmly and serve him Hyderabad biryani. But we will not accept anyone coming here and trying to dictate terms to Telangana,” KTR said.
“Telangana is indeed the jagir of the people of Telangana. It belongs to the four crore people who live here and who struggled for six decades to achieve statehood. There should be no doubt about that,” he went on to state.
KTR questioned Kalyan’s remarks on regionalism, seeking to know why the Telangana movement was being singularly targeted when such movements elsewhere were being celebrated. “If regionalism is dangerous, was Potti Sriramulu’s 58-day fast demanding a separate Andhra State also regionalism? Was that wrong?” he wondered.
The BRS leader also gave the short shrift to suggestions that Telangana lacked in patriotism.
“No one needs to teach us the National Anthem or nationalism. This is the land that fought against the Nizam’s rule. This is the land where people made immense sacrifices for justice and democracy. We have deep respect for the nation and a strong patriotic spirit,” he said.
He went on to pooh-pooh Pawan Kalyan’s lament that he was not being allowed to contest elections from Andhra.
“Chandrababu Naidu contested in Telangana in 2018. Jana Sena contested in 2023. Who stopped them? Why create an imaginary narrative that Telangana is preventing anyone from contesting?” he asked.
KTR highlighted that it was the Congress government which had denied permission for the Jana Sena’s public meeting on Telangana Formation Day.
“If there are grievances regarding permissions for meetings, those questions should be directed at the Congress government, not at BRS. We have no objection to anyone holding meetings or contesting elections in Telangana,” he clarified.
Also Read: Andhra sealed, Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan announces Jana Sena’s poll foray into Telangana
