Cong govt targeting KCR, BRS leaders through inquiry panels: MLA Harish Rao
BRS MLA T Harish Rao criticised the state government for releasing a 60-page summary of the judicial commission's report on the Kaleshwaram project, describing it as 'false" and 'politically motivated." Reacting to the commission's findings—which held KCR accountable for alleged irregularities in the multi-crore project—Harish Rao questioned the authenticity of the summary and whether it accurately reflects the commission's full 650-page report.
'The government says it will table the report in the Assembly. Once that happens, we will present the facts before the people," he told reporters at the BRS party office, where he made a detailed presentation titled 'Congress conspiracies on Kaleshwaram'.
He further alleged that the summary gives an impression of a 'one-sided" judicial commission report and accused the Congress of misusing inquiry commissions to target the BRS leadership.
Responding to observations on KCR's direct involvement in project design and execution, Harish Rao claimed, 'It is the chief minister's responsibility to review key projects. How can that be called political interference?" He accused the Revanth Reddy-led government of launching a series of 'politically motivated inquiries to divert public attention from its failures".
These include probes into power projects, the Kaleshwaram project, and the Formula-E race.
Harish Rao, who is KCR's nephew, maintained that the Kaleshwaram project was developed with all necessary permissions and regulatory clearances. He also recalled that judicial commissions set up in the past—including against leaders like Indira Gandhi and N Chandrababu Naidu—had not held up under judicial scrutiny.
The judicial commission, appointed by the Congress government, reportedly found the former chief minister 'directly and vicariously" responsible for irregularities in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project.
The state cabinet, which met on Monday at the Secretariat, discussed and accepted the commission's findings. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said the government would soon convene a session of the Assembly to hold a thorough debate and decide the future course of action.
The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, located on the Godavari River in Bhupalpally district, is a multi-purpose irrigation initiative.
Damage to its barrages—constructed during the previous BRS regime—emerged as a key issue in the 2023 Assembly elections.
In 2024, the Congress government ordered a probe into alleged irregularities surrounding the Bhadradri and Yadadri power projects, also initiated under the BRS administration.
The state's Anti-Corruption Bureau filed a case against BRS leader K T Rama Rao, accusing him of sanctioning payments—mostly in foreign currency and without approvals—for hosting the Formula E race in Hyderabad in February 2023, during the BRS rule.
Rama Rao held the Municipal Administration portfolio in the BRS government. PTI SJR SJR SSK
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First Published:
August 05, 2025, 20:30 IST
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