Harish picks up Revanth’s debate gauntlet

Hyderabad: Accepting the challenge thrown by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for a debate on the floor of the Assembly, former irrigation minister T Harish Rao said on Sunday that his party would give an answer that would block the minds of the Congress members.

Addressing the party’s LB Nagar Assembly constituency meeting, he said that during the ten years of KCR’s government, irrespective of the pressure exerted by the Centre, the projects were never handed over to the KRMB. “We had laid a condition that a 50 per cent share of water should be given, Srisailam should be recognised as a hydel project, and only 20 per cent of drinking water should be taken into account. Even before two months of being in office, the Congress government handed over the projects, keeping the interests of the people of the State at stake,” said Harish Rao, alleging Revanth Reddy had no grip on the subject, hence he was spitting venom. He should stop his oversmartness, he added.

Harish Rao questioned, "Wasn't it the Congress government that passed the bill to hand over the projects to the Centre during the division of the State?"

"It was your Jaipal Reddy and Jairam Ramesh whodraftedd the bill. Revanth has no idea about irrigation; he is talking cheaply without understanding. He is bringing water problems to the State,” said Harish Rao, cautioning that Hyderabad would have drinking water problems. If the projects are handed over to theboardd, Khammam, Nalgonda, and Mahbub Nagar will have problems with irrigation and drinking water, the BRS leader added.

Harish Rao said that Revanth was not qualified to talk about Pothireddypadu. “Revanth, who was in TDP that day, did not respond to Pothireddypadu; his lips were closed.

Look at your back, and then talk. We fought hard in the Assembly against Pothireddypadu. We stalled the Assembly for 30 days when water was being taken to Pothireddypadu and have a history of throwing ministerial posts within a year,” said Rao.

The BRS leader said that in the morning, former vice president M Venkaiah Naidu told Revanth that there should be sobriety in politics, and in the afternoon, Revanth spoke cheap and vulgar words.

He recalled that in the past, Congress ran away with the excuse of not being prepared. “We are not like that; we will boldly come to the discussion. They are talking the same way they used to when they were in opposition,” said Rao.