Harish Rao peddling lies, KCR running away from Banakacherla debate in Assembly: Telangana Congress president

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president and MLC B. Mahesh Kumar Goud said that Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) senior leader T. Harish Rao is deliberately misleading the people of Telangana with baseless and absurd arguments over the recent talks between Telangana-Andhra Pradesh regarding river water, in Delhi.

Speaking to the media, Mr. Goud ridiculed Mr. Rao’s criticism, pointing out that even Union Minister C.R. Patil had clearly stated the agenda and discussions of the meeting between the Chief Ministers A. Revanth Reddy and N. Chandrababu Naidu, Irrigation Ministers, and officials of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in the presence of the Union Minister. “Yet, Harish Rao continues to peddle lies to mislead Telangana’s people,” he said.

Moreover, the Chief Minister, Mr. Reddy, himself explained the discussions in detail at the press meet that followed the talks in Delhi. “It seems those facts did not register in Mr. Harish Rao’s mind,” he said. He alleged that Mr. Rao’s only interest is in making noise for publicity without regard for facts.

The TPCC president reminded that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had already challenged former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) and BRS leaders to come to Telangana Assembly for an open debate on water disputes and other issues concerning the State. “The Chief Minister also offered to come to the farm house of KCR if he is not interested in joining the debate in the Assembly. But there is no response,” he said.

Mr. Goud recalled the statements of KCR when he was the Chief Minister — who said there were no river basins or boundaries, and Andhra Pradesh can utilise the floodwaters in Godavari that were to the tune of 3,000 TMC every year.

“With that assurance, Andhra Pradesh went ahead with the Rayalaseema lift irrigation project when BRS was in power, and the present AP government planned the Banakacherla project. You both have mortgaged Telangana’s interests, and yet you blame Congress, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, and Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy,” he said.