Actor turned politician Pawan Kalyan on Friday expressed disappointment that only one Telugu person got the Padmashri award, in the recent announcement made by the Centre.
"It would have been good if more Telugu people had got the honours," the Jana Sena Party chief was quoted as saying.
Pawan Kalyan was addressing party cadres after unfurling the national flag at the JSP party office on the occasion of Republic day.
He also asked the state governments in Telangana and Andhra to nominate veteran actors Savithri and SV Ranga Rao, to be given the Padmashri.
He also congratulated shuttler Kidambi Srikanth and music composer Ilayaraja for bagging the awards.
Pawan is presently on his 'Chalo re Chal' yatra, that plans to tour parts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, before his full-fledged foray into politics when he plans to contest the 2019 election.
Pawan launched his 'praja yatra' at Kondagattu in Jagtiyal district, after offering prayers at a local temple.
It was in this town that he had a narrow escape when a high-tension wire fell on him during campaigning in the 2009 elections. He was then campaigning for Praja Rajyam, the party floated by his elder brother Chiranjeevi.
The Jana Sena chief continued and finished his yatra in Telangana and plans to launch the yatra in Andhra Pradesh on January 27.
According to reports, Pawan Kalyan will arrive in Anantapur in the morning and attend the ground breaking ceremony of his party office in the city at 11:30 am.
He has announced his party will contest the 2019 elections in both the Telugu states.
Stating that Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were no different, the actor-politician said that in both the states his party would do responsible politics.
Reiterating that he will not criticise other parties just for the sake of criticism, he said the Jana Sena would study the people's problems and try to resolve them by bringing them to the notice of the respective governments.