Hyderabad: Telangana Government Advisor Mohammed Ali Shabbir accused Jana Sena Party chief and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan of advancing the BJP’s agenda of communal polarisation through his recent remarks on Telangana.
Addressing the media on Thursday, Shabbir Ali described Pawan Kalyan’s comments regarding alleged opposition to the national anthem and national song in Telangana as baseless.
He said no such issue existed in the state and alleged that the Jana Sena chief was attempting to create a controversy for political attention.
According to Shabbir Ali, Telangana has consistently upheld constitutional values, secularism and national unity while safeguarding its identity and self-respect.
Shabbir Ali Pawan Kalyan row intensifies
Shabbir Ali alleged that the BJP and its allies often attempted to create emotional disputes when they failed to gain public support on substantive issues.
He claimed Pawan Kalyan was trying to transform imaginary issues into political narratives to benefit the BJP’s polarisation strategy.
The Congress leader said Telangana voters were capable of understanding the political motives behind such statements.
Furthermore, he alleged that Jana Sena lacked a significant organisational base in Telangana and was using religious and regional rhetoric to gain visibility.
“The people of Telangana know the difference between genuine politics and political acting,” Shabbir Ali said.
Shabbir Ali Pawan Kalyan dispute centres on electoral performance
Referring to Pawan Kalyan’s announcement about contesting the next Telangana Assembly elections, Shabbir Ali said Jana Sena had already contested the 2023 Assembly elections in alliance with the BJP.
He stated that the party fielded candidates in eight constituencies and that all of them lost their deposits.
According to Shabbir Ali, Jana Sena secured around 0.25 per cent vote share in the 2023 Assembly elections.
Moreover, he said the party fielded 336 candidates in the February 2026 municipal elections but won only one ward each in Nereducharla and Mancherial.
He claimed the party secured an overall vote share of about 0.3 per cent in those elections.
Shabbir Ali said the electoral results reflected the people’s verdict and urged Pawan Kalyan to examine the reasons behind the party’s performance.
He added that every political party had the constitutional right to contest elections. However, he said no party should hurt public sentiment or disturb communal harmony.
The Congress leader demanded that Pawan Kalyan withdraw his remarks and apologise to the people of Telangana.
He also urged political parties to compete democratically without undermining communal harmony or the sentiments associated with Telangana’s formation.