Hyderabad: A day ahead of Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan’s Hyderabad visit scheduled for June 2, Telangana Backwards Classes Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar has demanded an unconditional apology from the Janasena Party Çhief over his recent remarks on the state.

Pawan Kalyan is set to arrive in Hyderabad to participate in the Nava Nirmana Sankalpa Sabha, which aims to strengthen the party’s presence in the Telangana political arena. It will be held at Sandhya Convention in Gachibowli, and around 2,000 party workers and leaders are expected to participate.

Ponnam’s demand comes when Kalyan, a few months ago, remarked that the people of Telangana’s dishti (bad omen) has fallen on the fertile lands of the Godavari region. “Earlier, the Konaseema region in Godavari was blessed with greenery and coconut trees. Now, it is all gone and dried up. This is because the neighbouring state has put dishti,” he had said.

Addressing the media at Husnabad camp office, Siddipet, Ponnam demanded that Kalyan tender an unconditional apology to the people of Telangana before holding any public meetings in the state.

“Why is the Andhra Pradesh deputy chief minister bothered about Telangana? Yes, we were a part of AP, but people should respect the history of Telangana before seeking public support,” he said.

“He must focus on governance, employment and welfare programmes in his state. Elected leaders should prioritise the responsibilities given to them by the people,” the minister said, accusing Kalyan of pushing the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) political agenda.