HYDERABAD: Former Minister and BRS leader Harish Rao has strongly criticized the Congress government, particularly Uttam Kumar Reddy, over the alleged misallocation of Krishna River water and past political compromises that he claims have harmed Telangana’s interests.

Accusations against Revanth Reddy

Harish Rao condemned Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, alleging that he had made disgraceful remarks wishing for K. Chandrashekar Rao’s (KCR) demise. Harish Rao stated, “I have never seen a Chief Minister speak with such low standards,” and announced that BRS would boycott Revanth Reddy’s speeches in protest.

Congress blamed for Krishna water disputes

The former minister accused Uttam Kumar Reddy of compromising Telangana’s share of Krishna River water. He alleged that during previous Congress governments:

– The Krishna water allocation was set at 512 TMC for Andhra Pradesh and only 299 TMC for Telangana under Congress rule.
– Congress leaders dined with Chandrababu Naidu and then signed agreements favoring Andhra Pradesh.
– Pothireddypadu project expansion was opposed by BRS, but Uttam Kumar Reddy remained silent due to his ministerial position under Kiran Kumar Reddy’s leadership.
– Congress approved water allocations that ultimately led to crop failures in Telangana.

BRS’s stand on water disputes

Harish Rao claimed that only BRS fought for Telangana’s water rights, highlighting their efforts in:

– Blocking the Rayalaseema project through legal action.
– Opposing the Apex Committee’s decisions on water distribution.
– Stalling the Telangana Assembly for 40 days to protest against unfair Krishna water allocations.

Demand for accountability

Harish Rao called upon Uttam Kumar Reddy and Congress leaders to clarify why they signed agreements favoring Andhra Pradesh. He alleged that Telangana’s water resources were being wasted into the sea due to past Congress policies. He concluded by stating that Uttam Kumar Reddy is now trying to mislead the people with “blatant lies.”