Pawan Kalyan Threatens Telangana-like Separate State Movement For Uttarandhra

Vishakhapatnam: JanaSena Party chief Pawan Kalyan has threatened a Telangana-like separate statehood movement if Uttarandhra continued to be “wilfully neglected" by the Andhra Pradesh government.

"If greed, cruelty and oppression continues by the ruling classes of Andhra, even Uttarandhra will become separate a state in the next few years," the actor-turned-politician said during an interaction with intellectuals from North Andhra.

North Andhra constitutes of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, and Visakhapatnam districts.

Calling the anger among people of Uttarandhra reasonable, Pawan said, "North Andhra areas are full of green lands and natural resources but it is being neglected. Most of the natural resources and mines are scam-hit, all plans of the loot were part of government schemes."​

Later, in a series of tweets, he wrote, “Uttarandhra people, youth, women and intellectuals are building a strong movement for their self-respect, dignity and political-economic equality. They don’t trust the so-called ruling political classes and that is quite visible. Even the Telangana movement began like this and they have achieved statehood."

The JanaSena leader has raised issues like businesses being dominated by non-locals, the culture and language of Uttarandhra being ridiculed, migration, local entrepreneurship, land grabbing and tribal welfare among others.

Pawan added that if in 2019 he comes to power, he would ensure Uttarandhra is developed and the natural resources are not affected. He promised to take all steps to distribute each hectare land to migrant labours from North Andhra.

The JanaSena would fight all assembly seats in the 2019 assembly elections.​