Published Apr 16, 2026 | 7:42 PM ⚊ Updated Apr 16, 2026 | 7:42 PM
Tejasvi Surya speaking in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
Synopsis: BJP MP Tejasvi Surya on Thursday said the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh was worse than the Partition of India during a debate on the contentious Delimitation Bill, drawing immediate condemnation from Telangana leaders. Congress and BRS leaders called the remarks an insult to the people of Telangana, demanded an apology, and sought disciplinary action against Surya. The BJP, meanwhile, said his remarks were being “misinterpreted and distorted”.
Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya has drawn strong condemnation from leaders of the Telangana Congress and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) after he claimed that the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh under the Congress-led UPA was “worse” than the Partition of India under the British.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, 16 April, during a debate on the contentious Delimitation Bill, 2026, the BJP leader said:
“If you remember, the Congress party-led UPA divided the undivided Andhra Pradesh into AP and Telangana. The partition was done in a worse fashion than the British did the partition of India and Pakistan. This is the kind of legacy they have, Mr Speaker.”
The comparison drew immediate condemnation. BRS working president KT Rama Rao accused Surya of spitting venom against Telangana’s formation and demanded an apology.
“BJP leaders seem to have developed a habit of insulting the sacrifices and self-respect of the people of Telangana. It is utterly shameful that eight Telangana BJP MPs sitting in the same House could neither stop nor correct their fellow MP’s unacceptable remarks,” he added.
The BJP spits venom against the formation of Telangana yet again!
Likening the Telangana demerger to the India-Pakistan Partition is foolish and deserves strong condemnation.
Telangana was formed due to the protracted struggle and sacrifices of its people.
BJP leaders seem to… pic.twitter.com/jOdyXVgRBN
— KTR (@KTRBRS) April 16, 2026
Telangana Tourism and Culture Minister Jupally Krishna Rao also said Surya’s remarks show a familiar resentment among BJP leaders towards the state’s formation and noted that they follow similar comments by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Surya’s remarks came after Opposition parties strongly opposed the Delimitation Bill, accusing the BJP-led NDA government of trying to push through a delimitation exercise without consensus, under the guise of women’s reservation.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, the Delimitation Bill, 2026, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, tabled on the first day of a three-day special session of Parliament, aim to expedite the implementation of 33 percent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.
BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, have repeatedly said the Bills would not reduce the South’s representation in Parliament, but the Bills do not contain explicit safeguards.
Responding to Opposition concerns in the Lok Sabha, Surya said the proposed measures would increase the share of all states uniformly by 50 percent and would benefit southern states. He then alleged that the Opposition, chiefly the Congress, was spreading misinformation about the Bills and pointed to the creation of Telangana as a failure.
Also Read: ‘No injustice will be done to any state’: PM Modi assures fair delimitation process
Demand for unconditional apology and disciplinary action
Former Minister and senior BRS leader Harish Rao said Surya’s remarks were “deeply hurtful to the sentiments of nearly four crore people of Telangana” and demanded an immediate, unconditional apology from the MP and the BJP.
“The formation of Telangana in 2014 was a historic and legitimate outcome of a peaceful democratic movement. Equating it with Partition shows a complete lack of understanding and respect for India’s federal structure and the aspirations of its people,” he wrote in a post on X.
“The BRS views this statement as a direct insult to the dignity, identity, and self-respect of the people of Telangana. It also exposes a disturbing mindset within sections of the BJP leadership that seeks to belittle regional movements and create divisions for political gain.”
Former BRS MLC K Kavitha demanded an immediate response from the BJP’s Telangana MPs or their resignation.
“Speak up or resign. You don’t deserve to represent the people of Telangana if you cannot uphold the sanctity of our emotions,” she wrote in a post on X.
Meanwhile, Telangana Minister for Transport and BC Welfare Ponnam Prabhakar wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Prakash Birla, urging him to expunge Surya’s remarks from the official records of the Lok Sabha and take disciplinary action.
“Such comparisons are unnecessary and risk fostering regional discord, misrepresenting historical and constitutional realities, and undermining the spirit of unity and cooperative federalism that underpins our democracy. Statements of this nature fall short of the standards of responsibility and decorum expected from Members of Parliament,” the minister wrote.
He added that the Speaker should consider directing the member to tender an unconditional apology to the House and to the people of Telangana, examine the matter under the applicable rules governing conduct and privilege, and initiate appropriate proceedings. He also asked the Speaker to consider suitable action, including disqualification from the Lok Sabha, if the remarks amount to a serious breach of privilege and parliamentary decorum.
Also Read: Redrawing India’s democracy: The delimitation Bill’s hidden cost
Ramachander Rao defends Surya
Following the backlash, Telangana BJP State President N Ramachander Rao said Surya’s remarks were being “misinterpreted and distorted” for political purposes.
Addressing the media, Rao said the MP’s reference was only to highlight the loss of lives during the Telangana movement due to delays by the then Congress government, and not a comparison of Telangana with Pakistan.
He accused the Congress of delaying statehood, which led to unrest and loss of lives, including suicides by youth.
In contrast, he said the BJP ensured the smooth creation of states such as Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand during the tenure of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Rao said the BJP played a key role in the formation of Telangana, with leaders such as Sushma Swaraj and Rajnath Singh supporting the statehood demand in Parliament.
He accused the Congress and BRS of spreading “false propaganda” by twisting the MP’s remarks and trying to create controversy.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
