HYDERABAD: Former Telangana minister Jagadish Reddy has alleged that Congress, BJP, and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, along with Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, are responsible for injustices faced by Telangana in water-sharing disputes. He asserted that the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) was founded solely for the state’s interests and played a key role in the Telangana movement.
Speaking at Telangana Bhavan alongside former MLAs Gyadari Kishore and Bolla Mallayya Yadav, Jagadish Reddy accused the Congress government of failing to safeguard Telangana’s share of Krishna river water. He claimed that Andhra Pradesh was drawing excess water from Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar projects, impacting irrigation and drinking water supply in Telangana. He cited Harish Rao’s concerns over Krishna water being diverted illegally and criticized Telangana ministers for not taking necessary action.
Jagadish Reddy condemned the Congress leadership for prioritizing politics over water disputes and suggested they should question the central government and Chandrababu Naidu instead of targeting BRS leaders. He pointed out that during KCR’s tenure, Telangana never faced irrigation or drinking water shortages.
The former minister also accused Andhra Pradesh’s political leaders, including Jagan Mohan Reddy and Chandrababu Naidu, of having a united stance on water projects, while Congress leaders in Telangana allegedly obstructed BRS-led irrigation projects through legal interventions. He reminded that BRS had even withdrawn from Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s cabinet in opposition to the Pothireddypadu project.
“Uttam Kumar Reddy Failed To Defend Telangana’s Water Rights”
Further, he mocked Congress leader Uttam Kumar Reddy for failing to defend Telangana’s water rights and instead reading out prepared statements. He also accused Congress leaders of corruption, claiming that even party workers were being charged commissions by ministers.
Jagadish Reddy reaffirmed that BRS would fight relentlessly to secure Telangana’s rightful share of Krishna water, criticizing the current government for neglecting irrigation needs. He pointed out that under KCR’s leadership, 17 crop seasons had been successfully managed with adequate water supply, questioning how illegal water transfers could have occurred during that period.
Lastly, he urged the state government to focus on securing Telangana’s rightful water share in Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar projects rather than attacking KCR. He questioned whether Congress leaders even understood how water allocations were measured and called upon central ministers like Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay to take responsibility for ensuring Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) granted Telangana its due share of water.
