Telangana’s Minister for Roads, Buildings, and Cinematography, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, criticized Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, stating that he lacks political understanding. He said that Pawan Kalyan is speaking without proper knowledge and added that ever since he became Deputy Chief Minister, he has been making unrestrained comments. Recently, Pawan Kalyan toured the Konaseema region.
Responding to Pawan Kalyan’s recent comments, Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy addressed the media in Hyderabad on Tuesday. He demanded that the Deputy Chief Minister issue an unconditional apology to the people of Telangana.
Komatireddy warned that Pawan Kalyan’s films would only run in Telangana if he apologized; otherwise, they would not be screened. During his remarks, he praised Pawan Kalyan’s brother, Chiranjeevi, calling him a “superman,” and clarified that Chiranjeevi has no connection with politics. He advised Pawan Kalyan to speak responsibly and only after understanding the issues clearly.
The minister expressed concern that Pawan Kalyan’s comments had hurt the sentiments of the Telangana people. He also recalled the hardships Telangana faced during the united Andhra Pradesh era, stating that Hyderabad’s revenue was mostly used for Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, and Tirupati. Furthermore, he alleged that Telangana suffered additional losses under the leadership of former Chief Minister and BRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao. He noted that the state is only now beginning to recover.
What exactly did Pawan Kalyan say?
During his tour of the Konaseema region, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan reportedly stated that the coconut trees in the area were drying up because of the “evil eye” of Telangana leaders. These remarks sparked criticism from political leaders in Telangana, who strongly condemned his statements. Several Telangana leaders are now demanding an unconditional apology from the Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister.
It would be better if political disagreements were limited to politics. Political leaders should not involve movies in their conflicts or threaten to ban film releases. A movie is a collaborative effort involving many people, substantial investments, and significant risks; it is not about one individual.