In a sharp escalation of political tensions in the Telangana Legislative Assembly, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao has demanded equal opportunity for the principal opposition to present its case. This demand comes in response to the Congress government's plan to make a PowerPoint presentation on contentious irrigation projects.
Demand for Democratic Parity in the House
Addressing the media at Telangana Bhavan on Thursday, KTR asserted the fundamental principle of parliamentary democracy. He stated that once inside the assembly, all 119 MLAs enjoy equal rights, with no distinction between the chief minister and an ordinary legislator. His core argument was clear: if the ruling government is allowed to present its version of facts through a PPT, the opposition must be granted the same platform.
"You present your version and allow us to present ours. As the principal opposition, we are fully prepared to explain how Telangana's agriculture and irrigation were transformed over the last 10 years under BRS governance," KTR declared. He confirmed that a formal letter seeking fairness in this matter had already been submitted to the assembly speaker.
Hypocrisy Charge and a History of Boycotts
The BRS leader launched a pointed attack by recalling a historical precedent. He reminded the Congress that on March 31, 2016, when former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao made a similar PowerPoint presentation in the assembly, the Congress party had boycotted the proceedings. They had labeled it a violation of parliamentary traditions at the time.
"What was unacceptable then—how did it suddenly become acceptable now?" KTR questioned, highlighting what he termed as the ruling party's hypocrisy. The government's planned presentation is focused on the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy lift irrigation project and the ongoing Krishna water disputes, both highly sensitive issues in the state's political and agricultural landscape.
Questioning Governance and Highlighting Failures
KTR did not stop at procedural demands. He launched a direct critique of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's understanding of irrigation and river water management. He cited an instance where Revanth Reddy had mistakenly claimed the Bhakra Nangal Project was in Telangana, while it is actually located in Himachal Pradesh.
"A chief minister who does not even know basic river basins wants to lecture us on irrigation?" KTR asked. He further claimed the CM was unaware of the river basin to which the Devadula project belongs. To bolster his criticism, he listed several incidents under the current administration as examples of failure in the irrigation sector:
- The Srisailam Left Bank Canal tunnel incident that claimed eight lives.
- The collapse of the Sunkishala project.
- The submergence of the Vattem pumphouse.
This confrontation sets the stage for a heated ongoing assembly session, with the opposition BRS positioning itself to aggressively counter the Congress narrative on one of Telangana's most critical subjects: water and irrigation development.
