Congress protests Karnataka MP’s remarks on Telangana

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

Controversial remarks by BJP MP from Karnataka Tejasvi Surya in the Lok Sabha have sparked widespread outrage in Telangana, with critics accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party of insulting the state's formation and the sentiments of its people. Speaking during a debate on the Delimitation Bill 2026, the BJP MP from Karnataka claimed that Congress had carried out the division of Andhra Pradesh  "in a worse fashion than the British" during the India-Pakistan partition.

The comments have been widely condemned as insensitive and a distortion of history, especially given the long struggle for Telangana statehood that involved sacrifices by activists and the democratic process through which the state was formed in 2014. Congress leaders in Telangana have strongly criticized the remarks, linking them to what they describe as the BJP's broader pattern of divisive politics based on religion, caste, and region. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) secretary Samal Karthik accused the BJP of disrespecting Telangana's identity and aspirations. He alleged that the party was failing to deliver funds due to the state and was hurting public sentiments through such statements

In response to the controversy, protests erupted across the state. In Chandanagar, Congress leaders organized a relay hunger strike under the leadership of senior leader Katla Chandrashekhar Reddy. Addressing the protest, they demanded that BJP MPs, including Tejasvi Surya, tender an unconditional public apology to the people of Telangana by "bowing their heads to the ground." They also echoed the demand made by Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar for Surya's expulsion from Parliament.