Vijayashanthi urges people to greet with ‘Jai Telangana’, avoid English greetings

Congress MLC Vijayashanthi has called on people to greet each other with “Jai Telangana” instead of English greetings. Her appeal comes amid a growing trend among Congress leaders and celebrities to invoke the slogan as a mark of identity and pride

Hyderabad: In a surprising appeal, Congress MLC and film actress Vijayashanthi has urged the public to greet each other with “Jai Telangana” instead of saying “Good Morning” or “Good Evening”.

She made the remarks while participating in Bonalu festivities at Borabanda on Sunday.

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“There are vested interests trying to loot Telangana again. People must remain vigilant and block the entry of such forces into the State,” she said, adding that Telangana lives in the hearts of its people.

“We should greet each other by making a fist and saying ‘Jai Telangana’ with pride, and stop using greetings like ‘Good Morning’,” Vijayashanthi stated.

In recent weeks, several Congress leaders, including Ministers, have insisted on raising the ‘Jai Telangana’ slogan at official events though Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has notably avoided the same.  

During the State Formation Day celebrations held in Karimnagar last month, IT Minister D Sridhar Babu said that “Jai Telangana” was more than a slogan — it was an emotion and the breath of every citizen. “It embodies our identity, struggle, and self-respect,” he said.

Despite repeated calls by Congress representatives, some party leaders continue to avoid raising the slogan, drawing criticism from various quarters.

Notably, Tollywood actors Allu Arjun and Nandamuri Balakrishna — the latter also being the MLA of Hindupur in Andhra Pradesh — had raised the ‘Jai Telangana’ slogan while standing beside Revanth Reddy at the Gaddar Film Awards ceremony.