Harish Rao criticises Congress government over SLBC tunnel rescue operations

Senior BRS leader Harish Rao criticised the Telangana government for delays in the SLBC tunnel rescue operations, accusing it of poor coordination and political distractions.

HYDERABAD: Senior BRS leader and former minister T. Harish Rao has criticised the Telangana government’s handling of the ongoing rescue operations at the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel.

Speaking to the media on Thursday before visiting the accident site, he accused the government of failing to ensure proper coordination between agencies, leading to delays in crucial rescue efforts.

Harish Rao alleged that despite several days passing since the incident, the rescue operations had not gained momentum. He questioned whether ministers were more focused on giving media interviews than expediting relief efforts. “Can they understand what is happening inside the tunnel from a helicopter?” he asked, stressing the urgency of the situation.

The BRS leader also launched an attack on Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, referring to him as “Evasion Reddy” and “Falsehood Reddy.” He accused the Chief Minister of prioritising elections over the lives of those trapped in the tunnel. “Is the Chief Minister prioritising elections or the lives of the eight workers?” he questioned, further alleging that the government was attempting to shift blame onto the opposition instead of taking responsibility.

Harish Rao also compared the current administration’s approach to that of the previous BRS government, claiming that more funds had been allocated for the SLBC project under BRS than under Congress. He stated that ₹100 crore was mobilised through an all-party initiative to advance the project during the BRS tenure, while under the Congress government’s 15-month rule, not even 15 metres of tunnelling had been completed.

SLBC టన్నెల్ ప్రమాద ఘటన జరిగి ఇన్నిరోజులు అవుతున్నా ఒక్క అడుగు కూడా ముందుకు పడలేదు.

ప్రమాదంలో చిక్కుక్కున్న వారిని బైటకు తీసుకురావడంలో రాష్ట్ర ప్రభుత్వం పూర్తిగా విఫలమైంది. తమ ఫెయిల్యూర్ ను కప్పిపుచ్చుకోవడానికి బీఆర్ఎస్ మీద బురద చల్లే ప్రయత్నం చేస్తున్నారు. బీఆర్ఎస్ ను… pic.twitter.com/qfZKmwRyVP

— Office of Harish Rao (@HarishRaoOffice) February 27, 2025