Telangana Minister Slams Pawan Kalyan Over 'Evil Eye' Comment, Warns Of Film Ban

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. 

Telangana leaders slammed the remark as insulting and claimed it hurt public sentiment. One minister even warned that Pawan Kalyan’s films could be banned in the state.