Hyderabad: Strongly opposing objections by some Telangana Congress leaders to a proposed Jana Sena party meet here, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Tuesday alleged that a few leaders of the grand old party were behaving like separatists.
The Jana Sena founder leader demanded that top Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra “respond” to such narrow regional politics of some Telangana Congress leaders.
While Jana Sena respects regional sentiments, it would resist if regionalism hurts nationalism, he said.
He also said his party would contest the next assembly elections in Telangana in 2028.
He said he, however, cannot speak for his NDA allies, TDP and BJP. “All these leaders who are threatening me are the ones who were silent when YSR had openly made his stance clear against the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra fought from Wayanad in Kerala and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had contested from Medak in Telangana.
Former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao, a native of Telangana, was elected to the Lok Sabha from Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh.
“You say nobody (those not belonging to Telangana) should come here. You think this is India or Pakistan? This is my country. I will go anywhere. It’s my Constitutional right,” Kalyan told reporters here.
“Does Congress have a policy? I expect Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi to respond to this. You are a so-called national party. A few Congress leaders are behaving like separatists. You (Congress) want to come to Andhra Pradesh, and you want to be there. What a contradiction? What a hypocrisy? Do we need to take passports to go to a different state in India?” he said.
Strongly opposing objections by some Telangana Congress leaders to a proposed Jana Sena party meet here, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Tuesday alleged that a few leaders of the grand old party were behaving like separatists."You say nobody (those not… pic.twitter.com/5UezDG1jDm— The Siasat Daily (@TheSiasatDaily) June 2, 2026
Kalyan said he would also tour in Telangana in deference to people’s wishes, though Jana Sena mainly operates in Andhra.
Asserting that he is inspired by the fighting spirit of Telangana people and its culture, he stressed that he was never opposed to the formation of Telangana but only to the way undivided Andhra Pradesh was divided.
Also ReadTelangana HC rejects Jana Sena’s plea seeking permission for Hyderabad meeting
Referring to comments –by some like opinion makers– questioning how he could set his foot in Hyderabad, he said he would not be scared by such threats.
He asserted that Jana Sena never insulted Telangana formation and the state’s interests. While Jana Sena respects regional sentiments, it would resist if regionalism hurts nationalism, he said.
“If you go on harping on regionalism, it will hurt the country’s stability. If you keep on saying he is from Telangana, he is from Andhra, he is Maratha, he is Tamil, it will hurt the internal security. If you keep on speaking like this, it will be more dangerous than terrorism,” he said.
Kalyan said he welcomed BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), who opened his party’s unit in Andhra Pradesh.
The Telangana Police on June 1 rejected permission for a proposed meeting of Pawan Kalyan here on Tuesday.
#WATCH | Hyderabad | On the statement of Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan, State Minister Ponnam Prabhakar says, "…Whether it is Pawan Kalyan, or anyone else, they are free to roam anywhere in this country; however, engaging in politics in that region, while hurting or… pic.twitter.com/WdeEAVWl1j— ANI (@ANI) June 2, 2026
The permission was denied to ensure ‘law and order and public peace and tranquillity,’ police said.
Police, in its order rejecting permission for the proposed meeting, cited the purported remarks of a Telangana-based political analyst on Pawan Kalyan and subsequent registration of criminal cases against him in Andhra Pradesh, which led to escalating “tensions and animosities” generated across Telangana, as one of the reasons for rejecting the permission.
He also spoke about the recent controversies surrounding former MLC and Professor K Nageshwar and veteran journalist Pasham Yadagiri. The Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM said he has immense respect but questioned whether raising questions on abuse has become unacceptable in Telangana. “I have high respect for Pasham Yadagiri garu. During the Telangana movement, we would have a wide range of discussions. However, I did not expect he would say such things about me,” he said.
Update:The copy has been updated with Pawan Kalyan’s comments on recent controversies surrounding former MLC and Professor K Nageshwar and veteran journalist Pasham Yadagiri. June 2, 2026 at 10:22 PM
Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News, Technology, Entertainment, Sports, Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS.
