Telangana Leaders Demand Apology After BJP MP Compares State Formation to Partition

Strong political backlash erupted in Telangana following controversial remarks by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Tejasvi Surya. During a special session of the Lok Sabha on April 16, 2026, Surya compared the formation of Telangana state to the partition of India, claiming the division of Andhra Pradesh by the Congress-led UPA was worse than the British partition. This statement triggered sharp criticism from leaders across party lines, including Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K. T. Rama Rao. Prabhakar condemned the comments as an attack on the self-respect of Telangana people and a distortion of history, demanding the remarks be expunged from parliamentary records. KTR accused the BJP of harboring hostility toward the state and criticized local MPs for their silence. BRS MLC Dasoju Sravan labeled the comparison sedition, calling for Surya’s suspension. Congress leaders also joined the outcry, viewing the incident as reflective of the BJP’s stance against Telangana. The incident has intensified regional tensions and demands for an unconditional apology.