BRS leaders decry notices to KCR, term it politically motivated

Say the probe into Kaleshwaram project is a conspiracy to divert Godavari river waters to Andhra Pradesh by discrediting the project and making Medigadda barrage dysfunctional

Hyderabad: BRS leaders on Tuesday slammed the Revanth Reddy government following notices issued to former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao and former Minister T Harish Rao in connection with the Kaleshwaram project inquiry. Calling it a politically motivated move, former Ministers and MLAs said the notices were not against individuals but against the spirit and aspirations of Telangana, which would be answered appropriately.

Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan on Wednesday, former Minister and MLA Gangula Kamalakar questioned the intent behind summoning Chandrashekhar Rao, suspecting that Justice PC Ghose Commission was acting under pressure from Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. He cited the notices being leaked to media even before reaching Chandrashekhar Rao and Harish Rao as evidence of foul play.

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He likened the Congress government’s claims of Kaleshwaram project being useless to that of demolishing a house over a bathroom leak. “If three of the 85 piers sink at Medigadda, how could you declare the entire project a failure?” he asked. He said as there was adequate time, Chandrashekhar Rao would decide on whether to appear before the Commission or not after discussing with legal experts and party leaders.

Former Minister V Srinivas Goud termed the probe as a conspiracy to divert Godavari river waters to Andhra Pradesh by discrediting the Kaleshwaram project and making Medigadda barrage dysfunctional. He asked why similar inquiries were not conducted in collapse of SLBC tunnel or Sunkishala retaining wall and submergence of Vattem pumphouse. He warned that targeting the former Chief Minister was nothing less than targeting Telangana’s farmers.

Former Minister Satyavathi Rathod stated that the Congress government was collapsing due to its failed promises and raised curtains to a blame game, to divert public attention from crucial issues plaguing the State. She said while Chandrashekhar Rao brought laurels to Telangana, Revanth Reddy was bringing disrepute to the State through his actions.

She charged the Congress government with wasting public money on beauty pageants, while ignoring tribal welfare. She ridiculed that to inaugurate a small temple at the Chief Minister’s native village, the entire Cabinet used three helicopters and misused public money. She condemned Revanth Reddy misusing the government machinery to settle personal vendetta against Chandrashekhar Rao and his family. She declared that the BRS will not fear such power politics.

MLA D Sudheer Reddy said the Chief Minister was misusing the government machinery to settle political scores. “This is not a notice to Chandrashekhar Rao, but to 70 lakh farmers,” he said. He blamed Revanth Reddy for spreading poisonous propaganda against the State’s most ambitious and successfull irrigation project. He vowed that the BRS would continued to fight on behalf of the people of Telangana, notwithstanding conspiracies and pressure tactics by the government.

MLAs KP Vivekananda, Bandari Lakshma Reddy, and MLC Shambhipur Raju also were present.