The bonhomie and cordiality between the Chief Ministers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh K Chandrasekhar Rao and N Chandrababu Naidu has been soured again by the fresh controversy over sharing of river waters.
The two Chief Ministers, who had publicly patted each other on various occasions and shared the platforms at major events over the last one year have resumed tongue lashing aimed at their respective vote banks rather than each other.
K Chandrasekhar Rao has warned his AP counterpart against waking up “Telangana Tiger”.
“I am warning Andhra leaders that for your petty politics don’t irritate or wake up Telagnana tiger”, KCR said at a function held to welcome the YSR Congress Party MP P Srinivas Reddy and MlA P Venkateshwarulu in to his party’s fold.
KCR warned that if Andhra leaders rake up unnecessary controversy over Telangana projects, he will not keep quiet. “We will give reply to brickbats with stones”, he said.
He targeted both the Chief Minister Naidu and leader of Opposition in AP Assemly YS Jaganmohan Reddy. “They are using people of Telangana and enacting a drama to harm the interest of our State”, he said adding that he will not keep quiet over such antics.
Chandrababu Naidu on the other hand fumed over Telangana taking up projects on river Krishna saying this projects will create a major in delta region of coastal Andhra.
He ruled out any compromise on AP’s share of water. “We don’t have any objection on Telangana drawing its share of water. But Andhra Pradesh should get its own share of waters”, Naidu said.
Naidu said that earlier Krishna water was coming to Andhra Pradesh after passing through two upper riparian States but after formation of Telangana, the water has to cross three states. “As per the orders of the Tribunal, AP should get 1,000 tmc ft of water but it got only 65 tmc ft of water”, he said.
“Telangana CM is talking loosely. It is not correct”, Naidu said.
The issue has erupted in a full fledge war of words at a time when Telangana was pressing ahead with Palamuru-Ranga Reddy irrigation project over river Krishna and AP’s leader of Opposition Jaganmohan Reddy was planning to go on a three day hunger strike in Kurnool in the middle of this month.
While Telangana irrigation minister T Harish Rao suggested talks between the two States to thrash out the issue, his AP counter D Umamaheshwara Rao has rejected it. Umamaheshwara Rao said that Telangana had taken up the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy project and Dindi project in violation of AP state reorganization act. Harish Rao wanted to talk about AP farmers creating problems in the works on Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme between Kurnool and Mehbubnagar districts.