A political row erupted on Thursday after Bengaluru South BJP MP Tejasvi Surya said the Congress-led UPA’s division of undivided Andhra Pradesh into Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in 2014 was worse than the Partition of India in 1947. The remark triggered a furore from BRS leader KT Rama Rao, who called Surya’s remarks foolish and demanded an apology from him.
Speaking in Parliament during a discussion on the three bills to operationalise the Women’s Reservation Act, Surya said, “The way the Congress divided Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, it was done in a worse fashion than how the British did the Partition of India and Pakistan. This is the kind of legacy they have.”
Surya’s remarks triggered sharp reactions in Telangana, with KT Rama Rao (KTR) accusing the BJP of repeatedly insulting the state’s formation. “The BJP spits venom against the formation of Telangana yet again! Likening the Telangana demerger to the India-Pakistan Partition is foolish and deserves strong condemnation,” he wrote on X.
KTR stressed that Telangana was not a political decision taken lightly but the result of a prolonged mass movement. “Telangana was formed due to the protracted struggle and sacrifices of its people,” he said, adding that such comments undermine the self-respect of the people of the state.
He also targeted BJP leaders from Telangana, questioning why they did not intervene. “It is utterly shameful that eight Telangana BJP MPs sitting in the same House could neither stop nor correct their fellow MP’s unacceptable remarks. I condemn these remarks and demand an unconditional apology from Tejasvi Surya,” he said.
The remarks have revived sensitivities around Telangana’s 2014 formation – a deeply emotive issue rooted in a prolonged statehood movement led by the BRS – that continues to trigger sharp political reactions.
KTR’s sister and former BRS leader K Kavitha did not mince words and demanded his resignation.
“How dare you, Tejasvi Surya? You are not only insulting those who fought for Telangana for over six decades, but also dishonouring the memory of thousands who sacrificed their lives,” Kavitha, the president of Telangana Jagruthi, said.
Targeted BJP MPs from Telangana, she said, “Speak up or resign. You don’t deserve to represent Telangana if you cannot uphold the sanctity of our emotions.”
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