Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar responded to Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan's remark that coconut trees dried up due to the "drishti" of Telangana people.
The comment drew sharp reactions across Telangana, with many calling it unnecessary and irresponsible.
Ponnam Prabhakar said Telangana always treated Andhra people as brothers. He stated that Telangana never blamed Andhra for natural events and questioned how Telangana could be responsible for coconut trees drying in another state. He asked people to judge Pawan Kalyan's sensibility.
He added that the Telangana BJP must answer Pawan Kalyan's statement since the BJP is his political partner. He reminded that during floods in Husnabad caused by weather changes linked to Andhra, Telangana treated it as nature's role and never blamed Andhra people.
Ponnam urged the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister to respond to Pawan Kalyan's remarks. He warned that such comments could harm relations between two closely connected states if not condemned in time.
Ponnam also asked Pawan Kalyan to apologise, stating that he is no longer a film star and now represents the people of Andhra Pradesh as the Deputy CM. He said public leaders must speak responsibly and avoid statements that create unnecessary tension.