Telangana CM Revanth Reddy at an event in Adilabad
Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday claimed that leaders of opposition parties were denied due respect and representation at official events during the previous BRS regime.
Addressing a public meeting at Adilabad as part of the Congress government’s second anniversary celebrations, he said he is working without political bias on development initiatives, including working in coordination with the Centre.
He pointed out that Adilabad MLA Payal Shankar and MP Godam Nagesh, who belong to the BJP, were given opportunity to speak at the event.
“I appeal to the four crore Telangana people to think about it. Were leaders of opposition parties allowed to participate in Chief Minister’s events during the 10 years of that government? If any leaders of opposition parties attended, were they allowed to speak even for a minute?” Reddy asked.
He recalled being barred from visiting the Secretariat during the BRS tenure, claiming that the police once shifted him from the premises.
Alleging that the BRS rule was against principles of democracy, he said his government is functioning as per democratic norms.
The Chief Minister said he met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Ministers in Delhi on December 3 to personally invite them to the state government’s ‘TelanganaRising Global Summit’ to be held on December 8 and 9.
During his Delhi visit, the CM said he took the blessings of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, who he described as a mother figure, who fulfilled the aspiration of Telangana statehood.
Noting that the people of Telangana want welfare and development to take place at a rapid pace, he said the state and Centre have to work in coordination to realise the development goals.
He further said PM Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu assured help and announced that the works of establishing an airport at Adilabad are expected to begin in a year.
“I may belong to Congress, and we are in power. I spoke to Modi ji in Delhi yesterday for establishing the airport in Adilabad to enlist Centre’s cooperation,” he said.
He also pledged to pursue efforts to reopen the closed company of Cement Corporation of India in Adilabad through private investment and also speak to the Centre for the purpose.
In a sharp attack on BRS and its president K Chandrasekhar Rao, Reddy said the B R Ambedkar Pranahita Chevella project on Godavari, originally proposed at Tummidihetti in Adilabad district by the YS Rajasekhara Reddy government in undivided Andhra Pradesh, was renamed as Kaleshwaram and shifted to Karimnagar district by the previous BRS regime.
“We expected that the projects would be completed with speed after the formation of Telangana… He (KCR) erased the project. I don’t know what was his intention… He changed the name and place and estimates (for the project).”
According to Reddy, the project, rebranded as the Kaleshwaram irrigation project, was constructed at a cost of Rs one lakh crore, but collapsed in three years, failing to provide water to Adilabad.
He assured that the project, initially proposed to be built at Tummidihetti during the Congress regime of Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, would be constructed as per the original design.
Taking a swipe at KCR, he alleged that ill-gotten wealth has caused turmoil in the former’s family, claiming that the Rao’s daughter, son and other family members are “pulling in different directions”.
“Except disputes over money, there is no other dispute in their family,” he said.
This post was last modified on December 4, 2025 10:13 pm