Hyderabad: The Krishna water row intensified after Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar accused former chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao of betraying Telangana. He also blamed Congress and BRS for injustice to the state.
While addressing the media at Rekurthi Shubham Gardens in Karimnagar, Sanjay said KCR failed to protect Telangana’s rightful share in Krishna water. He questioned why Congress leaders did not oppose KCR at that time.
According to him, the BJP alone led agitations on water issues. Those protests, he claimed, forced KCR to retreat on key decisions.
Sanjay further alleged that Congress harmed Telangana during the drafting of the AP Reorganisation Act. He said Congress and BRS played political games to divert attention from six guarantees and corruption issues.
Krishna water dispute triggers sharp political attack
Referring to Assembly proceedings, Sanjay accused Chief Minister Revanth Reddy of making false claims on the Palamuru–Rangareddy project. On that issue, he said, the BJP led movements while Congress remained silent.
During undivided Andhra Pradesh, Telangana never used more than 200 TMC of Krishna water, he claimed. At the same time, the allocation stood at 811 TMC. Similarly, Telangana used less than 500 TMC from the Godavari despite a share of 1,486 TMC, he alleged.
Citing Section 89 of the AP Reorganisation Act, Sanjay said the law barred objections to projects planned at bifurcation. He noted that the Act listed four projects in Andhra Pradesh and two in Telangana. However, Palamuru–Rangareddy was excluded, he said, questioning Congress leaders’ silence then.
Raising another issue, Sanjay questioned the BRS over the PRLI project. He asked why the party failed to expose Congress’s alleged mistake. According to him, the previous government did not utilise Krishna water fully and allowed nearly 60 TMC to flow into the sea.
As per allocations, Telangana should receive 571 TMC of Krishna water, Sanjay said. Andhra Pradesh, he added, should get 299 TMC. However, he alleged that the shares were reversed through an agreement reached in the presence of Uma Bharti, involving N. Chandrababu Naidu, KCR, and Harish Rao.
Turning to irrigation projects, Sanjay criticised KCR over the Pothireddypadu head regulator. He alleged silence when its capacity rose from 4.3 TMC to 13.7 TMC. He also accused KCR of diverting public attention through the Kaleshwaram project and alleged massive cost escalation.
Live : Addressing the Media in Karimnagar https://t.co/2WEJwzANSz
— Bandi Sanjay Kumar (@bandisanjay_bjp) January 8, 2026