BRS Slams CM Revanth Reddy Over Financial, Water Dispute Claims

Hyderabad: The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has accused Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy of presenting misleading figures on the state's financial liabilities, water disputes, and other governance issues during his address in the Legislative Assembly and Council. The party alleged that the Chief Minister distorted facts to suit his political narrative, particularly concerning the state's debt and Krishna River water allocations.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, senior BRS leader T. Harish Rao challenged the statistics put forth by Revanth Reddy, citing Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data to counter the government’s claims. He asserted that the total loans borrowed under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) limits stood at ₹3,89,673 crore as of March 31, 2024, while borrowings before Telangana’s formation on June 2, 2014, amounted to ₹72,658 crore. According to him, the net borrowing under the BRS government’s tenure from 2014 to December 2023 was ₹3,01,897 crore—far lower than the ₹6.69 lakh crore figure stated by the Chief Minister.

Additionally, Harish Rao pointed out that government guarantees serviced during the BRS rule amounted to ₹1,15,599 crore, bringing the total fiscal obligations to ₹4,17,496 crore, contradicting the claims made by Revanth Reddy.

Krishna Water Dispute

Addressing the contentious Krishna River water-sharing issue, Harish Rao maintained that Telangana had continued with the pre-bifurcation 299:512 tmc ft allocation ratio between the state and Andhra Pradesh only as a temporary arrangement. He defended the BRS government’s stance, asserting that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), the previous iteration of BRS, had withdrawn support from the Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy-led Andhra Pradesh government in 2005 over water disputes. He further clarified that the government order (GO) for the expansion of the Pothireddypadu head regulator was issued only in September 2005—after TRS had exited the ruling coalition.

Political Hypocrisy on Digital Media?

The BRS leader also took a swipe at Revanth Reddy over his criticism of YouTube channels spreading misinformation. He alleged that the Chief Minister had previously encouraged such platforms while in opposition but was now attempting to suppress them after assuming power.

The allegations mark an escalation in political tensions between the ruling Congress government and the BRS, setting the stage for a heated debate over Telangana’s fiscal and water-sharing policies.