New Delhi [India], June 10 : Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena Party (JSP) chief Pawan Kalyan has launched a sharp rebuttal against "fringe elements" who have challenged his right to travel to and operate politically in Hyderabad. Asserting that his presence in the region is a matter of fundamental right, Kalyan dismissed calls for him to stay away from his "motherland."
In an exclusive interview with ANI on Wednesday, Kalyan addressed the political controversy surrounding his announcement to contest the upcoming legislative assembly elections in Telangana. He explicitly linked the hostile rhetoric to supporters of the Congress party, rejecting the notion that he requires permission to visit the state.
"In my own country, in my motherland, no one has the right to tell me whether I should come or not. Even when I was recovering from surgery, a few fringe elements--I believe they were Congress supporters--were asking, 'Why on earth are you coming to Hyderabad? This is not your home.' For me, the anger stemmed from wanting to establish my fundamental right. This is my motherland, and I will exercise my right. I do not need anyone's permission to be here. That is why I said, 'This is not your jagir (fiefdom); this is my motherland,'" he said.
The JSP leader revealed that he faced significant pushback, including comments suggesting he should stay out of Hyderabad, even while he was recovering from surgery. He characterised these attacks as an attempt to enforce "regional bias," expressing surprise that a national party like the Congress would endorse such divisive rhetoric, noting that even the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) had not engaged in similar separatist-style discourse during their ten years in power.
"I gave it. To someone, I say, you know what's happening since one and a half years, imagine from 2014 to 2024, I think, till that time. I haven't seen much, you know, that kind of rhetoric, that separatist rhetoric. But suddenly, post-Congress came, very strangely, being a national party. Actually, the TRS was a, TRS is a, I mean, being a regional party turned into BRS. And actually, they are the ones who are supposed to say it, and still it is okay, we can understand," Kalyan said.
"But BRS or TRS, which is called BRS now, they never said it in the last 10 years. But strangely, a national party like Congress has initiated this regional bias. That's quite strange to me. And okay, it's not about me launching, me going. And their leaders continuously, something fringe element, they keep on saying, you can't step into Hyderabad. You forget about me contesting," he added.
Addressing sceptics regarding his entry into Telangana politics, Kalyan emphasised that his connection to the state is deep-rooted, dating back to his early activism.
"I have been in politics since 2007 and 2008," he explained, noting that a dedicated base of Telangana youth has supported his ideological platform since well before he formally launched the Jana Sena Party in 2014. From his early NGO work with the Government Protection Force to his time with the Praja Rajyam Party, he noted that his ideological appeal has consistently resonated across borders.
"But I have a very strong character. It's not because I launched the party in 2014. You have to understand, I have been in politics since 2007 and 2008. And even before that, I had a lot of very staunch Telangana youth who stuck to me since 2004 as some kind of admirers. They stuck to me and they liked something about me, some ideological connection, even while I was doing cinema. I think they stuck to me when I did, when I launched my NGO, Government Protection Force, they stuck to me. Then we got into the Praja Rajyam political party. I think since then, I think they stuck with me," he said.
While Kalyan has stirred the political landscape by confirming his intent to expand JSP's reach into Telangana, he clarified that his priorities remain centred on his current administrative responsibilities.
"There is no such thing. I mean, though I said it, we are entering, but I was not really focusing on Telangana because I was certain issues are sensitive and, you know, the party was established in, I mean, initiated in Telangana. But my primary focus is in Andhra Pradesh," he said.
Reflecting on his entry into public life, the Deputy CM shared a candid glimpse into his formative years, admitting that his journey began from a place of "directionless rage" and a desire for societal reform. He recalled that, as a teenager, his anger toward systemic injustice was so intense that he had even considered joining the Naxalite movement. Today, he views his political career as a constructive outlet for that same passion for the nation.
"I was a teenager, and I felt that same anger. If you ask me why I entered politics, it was because of that anger. I felt deeply concerned for society and frustrated by so many things--I had immense anger toward the politics of appeasement. I was searching for answers and looking in multiple directions in life. I had a kind of... mad rage; I don't know what it was, but it was a directionless fury. I'm telling you, I searched for paths to revolution. At one point in my late teens, I even considered joining the Naxalites; yes, I wanted to pick up a gun," he said.