KTR slams Congress-BJP nexus for undermining Kaleshwaram project, vows to expose anti-farmer agenda

KT Rama Rao accused the Congress-BJP alliance of spreading false claims to damage the Kaleshwaram Project, a key irrigation initiative for Telangana. He defended the project, criticised their smear campaign, and called for accountability over delays in repairs

Hyderabad: Launching a scathing attack on the Congress-BJP nexus in the State, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao on Saturday accused both the national parties of orchestrating a campaign to tarnish the reputation of the Kaleshwaram Project, a critical irrigation lifeline for Telangana’s farmers.

Speaking at a presentation titled “Kaleshwaram Project: Countering False Propaganda with Facts,” delivered by former Minister and MLA T Harish Rao, he defended the transformative initiative spearheaded by former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao.

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Highlighting Chandrashekhar Rao’s vision for the rebuilding of the State, he credited him with harnessing the Godavari River’s waters to bolster Telangana’s agriculture. “KCR, a true visionary, ended decades of farmers’ struggles by ensuring water security,” he said, noting that projects like Palamuru-Ranga Reddy and Sitarama neared 90 per cent completion during the BRS rule, paving the way for a prosperous, fertile State.

However, for the past 18 months, the Congress-BJP alliance was waging a relentless smear campaign, distorting facts to mislead the public about the Kaleshwaram Project, he said, accusing the Congress-led government of undermining Telangana’s core aspirations – water, funds, and jobs – through misrule and corrupt practices. Congress had colluded with contractors and diverted funds to its leaders in Delhi, while leveling baseless charges against BRS, he said, also questioning the silence of Congress and BJP leaders on unauthorised projects in Andhra Pradesh, contrasting this with their aggressive scrutiny of Telangana’s decade-long developmental gains under BRS.

He also criticised the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) for its selective focus, ignoring major structural failures elsewhere, such as Gujarat’s Morbi bridge collapse, which killed 140 people, recurring bridge failures in Bihar, the SLBC tunnel disaster that claimed eight lives, and flooding at the Vattem pump house.

Despite these incidents, the Congress government had fixated on minor damage to just two of the Kaleshwaram Project’s 100 pillars, exaggerating the issue and delaying repairs for over a year. He dismissed a “fabricated” NDSA report, allegedly crafted at the BJP’s party office to discredit the project, and noted that Larsen & Toubro (L&T), the engineering firm behind both the Medigadda Barrage and India’s new Parliament, rejected the report as baseless. He called out Congress’s hypocrisy, pointing out that L&T had also built its Delhi headquarters.

“If they distrust L&T, why entrust them with their party office?” he asked, demanding accountability from the Congress government for stalling repairs to the two pillars, which he said could have restored irrigation and ensured a steady water supply for farmers. The BRS would take this truth to every district, exposing the Congress-BJP agenda to sabotage Telangana’s agricultural community.

“Congress must answer to our farmers for their deliberate inaction and deceptive tactics,” he demanded.