Hyderabad: Former minister Harish Rao demanded the immediate withdrawal of police cases against Jurala farmers who protested for irrigation water. He alleged that the Revanth Reddy government had made filing cases against farmers routine. He also criticised the government for allegedly using officials and engineers to pursue cases against farmers.
Harish Rao reacted on Thursday through X after police filed cases against farmers who demanded water from the Jurala project. The farmers had launched the protest to protect crops that faced drying conditions due to inadequate irrigation. Rao criticised the action and accused the government of targeting farmers instead of addressing their concerns.
Meanwhile, Rao questioned the government’s use of police action against farmers seeking water for their crops. He said farmers had taken to the roads after their crops began drying without adequate irrigation. In addition, he criticised officials and engineers for pursuing cases against the protesting farmers.
Jurala farmers face cases over irrigation water demand
Rao also alleged that the government had failed to utilise sufficient water from the Krishna river. He claimed that the river had adequate flows but said the government had deliberately failed to lift the available water.
According to Rao, the government had allowed water to flow away instead of securing it for Telangana. He questioned whether farmers should face punishment for mistakes allegedly committed by the government.
Earlier, Rao linked the Jurala farmers’ protest to wider concerns over irrigation and electricity supply. He said farmers across Telangana had launched protests over inadequate irrigation water and insufficient power. However, he argued that filing cases against them instead of addressing their problems did not amount to people-centric governance.
Rao further alleged that the government had deployed police to intimidate farmers. He questioned what kind of governance involved threatening farmers who raised concerns over their crops. He said such an approach amounted to “harassment of the people” rather than people-centric governance.
Separately, Rao demanded on behalf of the BRS that authorities withdraw the cases against the farmers immediately. He warned that the party would launch large-scale protests for farmers if the government continued what he described as anti-farmer actions.