Krishna water sharing row: BRS slams Uttam Kumar Reddy for blaming KCR

Senior party leader Vinod Kumar says the Irrigation Minister's statements blaming the BRS regime for the State's deprival of its due water share, smacked of ignorance of former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao's vision

Hyderabad: Highlighting the decade-long efforts of BRS president and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao to secure a fair share of Krishna waters for the State, former MP and senior party leader B Vinod Kumar said on Sunday that the statements of Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, who was trying to blame the BRS regime for the State’s deprival of its due water share, smacked of ignorance of Chandrashekhar Rao’s vision and his sustained campaign that helped in addressing the scarcity conditions in the State.

Addressing a news conference along with BRS leaders Dasoju Sravan, Gellu Srinivas Yadav, Gattu Ramachander Rao, Chilakamarri Narasimha, and Intiyaz Ahmed, Vinod said the remarks made by Uttam Kumar Reddy against Chandrashekhar Rao were uncalled for and baseless.

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He emphasized that Chandrashekhar Rao had consistently advocated for the distribution of Krishna waters according to Section 3 and wrote numerous letters to the Prime Minister and other ministers over the past decade.

The BRS leaders condemned Uttam’s accusations holding Chandrashekhar Rao responsible for the waters diverted illegally by Andhra Pradesh. They said that Chandrashekhar Rao had taken steps to ensure fair distribution of water since the formation of Telangana.

They pointed out that the BRS chief had instructed the then Principal Secretary Joshi to write to the Centre, urging the distribution of Krishna waters as per Section 3.

The leaders also mentioned that the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal had started its hearings in October 2023, contrary to Uttam Kumar Reddy’s claims that proceedings of the tribunal gained momentum only after the Congress came to power. They stressed that Chandrashekhar Rao’s efforts and pressure on the Centre had helped in preparing the ground for the allocation of water as per Section 3.

Vinod Kumar urged Uttam Kumar Reddy to review the letters written by Chandrashekhar Rao to understand the situation better. He also criticized the Congress and BJP for their lack of awareness regarding the Krishna water issue and invited them for a discussion on the efforts made by BRS for the fair distribution of Krishna waters.

The BRS leaders reiterated their commitment to addressing Telangana’s issues and highlighted Chandrashekhar Rao’s decade-long efforts to secure a fair share of Krishna waters for the State. They assured that they would send Uttam Kumar Reddy the letters written by Chandrashekhar Rao to various central leaders to provide clarity on the matter.