India, Oct. 31 -- Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Friday, October 30, demanded that Union Home Minister Amit Shah apologise unconditionally to Telangana before his scheduled November 2 visit to Hyderabad, alleging that remarks by Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the state had hurt public sentiment. Addressing reporters at Gandhi Bhavan, he said Shah was welcome and that the state government would make all arrangements for the trip, despite objections from some traders.

He said Shah should apologise to the people of Telangana and to the martyrs who gave their lives for statehood, won after a long struggle. He alleged that Shah had criticised Telangana in Parliament repeatedly and that Modi too had spoken a...