Revanth Reddy brings ‘black magic’ charge to Assembly

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy revived allegations of occult rituals against BRS leaders in the Telangana Assembly on Wednesday, accusing them of seeking to cause drought. The remarks came amid Harish Rao’s demand for greater use of available water for irrigation

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday revived the allegation of black magic against the BRS on the Assembly floor, accusing its leaders of performing occult rituals to cause drought in Telangana. He alleged that the Opposition disrupted proceedings to prevent a debate on the issue.

The charge is the latest in a series of similar allegations by Congress leaders, including TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud, against BRS Legislature Party deputy leader T Harish Rao over the past few weeks. Mahesh Kumar Goud had accused Harish Rao of performing “kshudra pujas”, or occult rituals, to cause drought, prompting the BRS leader to issue a legal notice demanding an apology.

---

The allegations came amid Harish Rao’s sustained demand that the government lift available water from rivers and supply it for irrigation to safeguard farmers’ interests. Congress leaders have repeatedly linked the BRS leader to alleged occult practices while responding to his demand.

Revanth Reddy’s remarks in the Assembly brought the allegation into the legislative proceedings, amid the continuing political dispute over the issue. The allegations remain unsubstantiated, with no evidence supporting the claim having been made public so far. The NHRC has directed the Telangana DGP to submit an action-taken report on a complaint concerning the allegations against Harish Rao.