Pawan Kalyan's 'Evil Eye' Remark Triggers Firestorm In Telangana, And A Threat

A remark by Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan about a superstitious belief has triggered a political firestorm, with leaders from Telangana accusing him of insulting the people of the state and threatening to halt the screening of the actor-politician's films.

Last week, during an inspection of seawater-damaged coconut plantations in the Konaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, Kalyan said the unsurpassable greenery and beauty of Konaseema used to be praised also by people from Telangana, which was carved out of the state in 2014. He went on to say that the famed Konaseema coconut groves had probably been destroyed because of "drishti" or "evil eye", which is being interpreted by some to mean that he was blaming the people of Telangana.

Seawater ingress has destroyed thousands of acres of coconut crops in Konaseema and, while discussing the environmental damage caused by overflowing drains and silt accumulation, the Jana Sena chief said, "Leaders from Telangana used to praise Konaseema's greenery, even saying that its prosperity was a factor in the state's bifurcation debate. Perhaps a lot of Dishti (evil eye) was cast on it, and just as a black stone breaks under a strong curse, Konaseema's coconut trees too seem to have been hit by a similar glare."

Hitting out at Kalyan, leaders from Telangana said he had insulted the state and its people at a time when the two Telugu states are attempting to foster cooperation.

Telangana Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy issued a warning and demanded an immediate apology.

"If Pawan Kalyan does not tender an unconditional apology, his movies will not be permitted to be screened anywhere in Telangana," he said, adding, "It is not Telangana's evil eye; in fact, under Andhra leaders' rule, our people had to drink fluoride water for 60 years."

Animal Husbandry Minister Vakiti Srihari remarked that the deputy chief minister's comments lacked political maturity and were intended purely for "political mileage". Pawan Kalyan, he said, was "unable to digest" the developmental strides made by the newly formed state of Telangana.

Transport Minister Poonam Prabhakar also sought an apology.

"Pawan Kalyan must apologise. When there is flooding in Telangana, we don't blame Andhra Pradesh. We think of it as nature's fury. As coalition partners of Kalyan and the Jana Sena party. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and the BJP need to react. He must understand that he is no longer just an actor. He must make responsible statements. He should not speak in a manner that creates animosity between the people of the two states," Prabhakar said.

Congress MLA J Anirudh Reddy questioned why the deputy chief minister was still living in Hyderabad.

"If Telangana has cast an evil eye on Konaseema, why is Pawan Kalyan staying in Hyderabad? He should sell his properties here and shift to Vijayawada," the MLA said.