Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) on Monday hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after the Telangana government decided to hand over the alleged Kaleshwaram project irregularities to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Sharing a January 31, 2024, post of Rahul Gandhi on X—where the Congress leader had described central agencies as the “BJP’s opposition elimination cell”—KTR questioned the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha: “Have you any clue, Mr. Gandhi, on what your CM is doing?”
The Telangana cabinet recently approved the Justice PK Ghose Commission’s report on the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages of the Kaleshwaram project. The report, submitted on July 31, 2025, flagged alleged corruption and misuse of public funds. Following this, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy announced a CBI inquiry, in addition to tabling the report in the Assembly for discussion.
Reacting sharply, KTR accused the Congress of political doublespeak, writing on X: “The very CBI that Rahul Gandhi had famously called the ‘Opposition Elimination Cell’ of the BJP. Bring it on, whatever it is that you conspire against us, we will fight legally and politically. We have faith in judiciary and the people. Satyameva Jayate.”
Taking a jibe at CM Revanth Reddy, he further added that the “currency manager” of Rahul Gandhi had handed over the case to the agency.
Meanwhile, CM Revanth Reddy defended the government’s decision, alleging that the previous BRS administration diverted the Kaleshwaram barrage from Tummidihatti to Medigadda under K Chandrashekar Rao’s leadership. He also claimed that then Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao pushed for a change in technology, which eventually led to large-scale irregularities and public money being siphoned off.
The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, one of Telangana’s flagship schemes, has been under scrutiny after reports of damage to the Medigadda barrage surfaced, raising questions about its design and execution.
