Pawan Kalyan clarifies Telangana remarks

Amid a political storm over his recent remarks on Telangana, Jana Sena Party chief and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Wednesday clarified that he had never spoken against the people of Telangana and stressed that regional identity should not be used to create divisions among Telugu-speaking communities.

Responding to criticism from leaders across Telangana’s political spectrum, Pawan said Telangana rightfully belongs to its people and reiterated that Jana Sena has no immediate plans to contest elections in the state. He maintained that democratic rights should not be curtailed in the name of regional politics.

“Regional aspirations and the demand for a separate state are different issues. We must not damage national unity by creating unnecessary divisions. Land may have boundaries, but people’s hearts do not,” Pawan said.

The Deputy Chief Minister noted that Jana Sena leaders from Telangana themselves had invited him to engage with political developments there. He expressed surprise that even after more than a decade since bifurcation, certain sections were still attempting to revive regional animosities. Pawan also sought to defuse the controversy by describing BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao as like a brother and said he holds deep affection and respect for Telangana and its people. He pointed out that leaders routinely work and campaign across states in a democratic country and questioned attempts to portray such engagement as controversial.

The Jana Sena chief simultaneously shifted focus to more pressing social challenge, the growing prevalence of caste-based politics. Speaking after paying tributes to Amarajeevi Potti Sriramulu in Amaravati, Pawan lamented that political discourse in Andhra Pradesh had increasingly become centered on caste identities rather than governance, employment and development.

“If an individual commits a mistake, the entire community should not be blamed. Unfortunately, caste has become a political weapon,” he said.

Announcing a renewed campaign against caste-based abuse and discrimination, Pawan said Jana Sena had formed a special committee named Seva Galam to promote social harmony and community service beyond caste lines. He emphasized that no political leader wins solely on the support of a single caste and that all sections of society contribute to electoral success.

Invoking the legacy of Potti Sriramulu, whose sacrifice paved the way for linguistic states in India, Pawan called for politics rooted in service, unity and social responsibility rather than division and identity-based confrontation.