Jupally Slams Tejasvi Surya's Remarks On Telangana

Telangana Tourism and Culture Minister Jupally Krishna Rao today strongly objected to the remarks made by BJP MP Tejasvi Surya regarding the formation of Telangana, describing them as the pinnacle of ignorance.

In a statement, the minister condemned the MP's rhetoric that the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and formation of Telangana was worse than the way the British had partitioned India and Pakistan, and said that it was a direct affront to the collective self-respect of the people.

Rao said that such comments undermined a movement defined by decades of struggle and the sacrifices of Telangana's youth.

He said that the birth of the State was the culmination of a long-standing public demand, validated by the highest legislative body of the country.

The minister also alleged that the MP's remarks reflected a deep-seated bias within the BJP leadership. He claimed that the party had consistently failed to acknowledge the legitimacy of Telangana's identity, recalling previous instances where senior leaders used derogatory analogies to describe the bifurcation, and accused it of maintaining a contradictory stance - seeking votes in the State while harbouring ill will towards its very existence.

Rao also credited the then leadership of the UPA, particularly Sonia Gandhi, for recognising the emotional aspirations of the region despite potential political risks.

Demanding an unconditional public apology from Surya, the minister said that any attempt to demean the struggle for Statehood would be met with a fitting response from the people of Telangana.