BRS MLC Sravan Demands Apology from CM Revanth Over Bhadradri Rama Comments

Hyderabad: In a forceful statement released on Saturday, BRS MLC Dr. Dasoju Sravan has pressed Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to withdraw comments attributed to him regarding Bhadradri Rama and offer an unconditional apology to the faithful.

Sravan contended that Revanth Reddy used the Rythu Aashirvada Sabha held in Khammam district to launch political attacks rather than address farmer concerns. The legislator pointed to the severe drought conditions affecting Telangana and the water scarcity plaguing agricultural communities, arguing the Chief Minister prioritized political messaging over tackling genuine agricultural hardship.

Drawing a distinction between the divine and the temporal, Sravan noted that while Lord Rama represents eternal spiritual truth, political authority remains transient. He accused the Chief Minister of making statements that were both arrogant and unconstitutional in nature.

Sravan took particular issue with what he characterised as Revanth Reddy's suggestion that Bhadrachalam could face destruction. He questioned how a Chief Minister could invoke the possibility of harm to a site of profound spiritual significance for political gain. The MLC emphasised that generations have revered Lord Rama as a supreme and timeless deity, making any linkage between the deity and destruction an affront to Hindu faith.

The BRS leader demanded an immediate withdrawal of the alleged comments and a public acknowledgement from the Chief Minister that his words had caused hurt to believers. Invoking historical precedent, Sravan asserted that rulers who disrespected religious faith eventually vanished from power, while spiritual authority transcends political change.

Sravan characterized the administration as operating under "Tughlaq rule," comparing the Chief Minister's approach to historical rulers who remained indifferent to public suffering even as crises mounted.

Election Timing and Constitutional Questions

The MLC also challenged Revanth Reddy's reported statements concerning the timing of Assembly elections. According to Sravan, the Chief Minister had suggested that elections scheduled for 2028 might occur in May or June 2029. Sravan questioned whether the Chief Minister possessed any constitutional power to determine the election calendar, and whether the Election Commission functioned under his direction.

Sravan raised concerns about delimitation discussions as well. He alleged that Revanth Reddy had claimed Telangana's 119 Assembly seats could expand to 182. However, Sravan noted that Congress leaders at the national level had criticised the delimitation process as lacking scientific rigour. He questioned whether the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister had privately briefed the Chief Minister on these matters, and whether Revanth Reddy was aligning with BJP positions while diverging from Rahul Gandhi's stance.

Questions Over Chief Minister's Political Stability

Sravan cast doubt on the durability of Revanth Reddy's position, pointing to other prominent Congress figures including Rahul Gandhi, N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, and Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka. He alleged that frequent trips to Delhi indicated efforts to secure his tenure. The MLC also reiterated earlier BRS claims that the Chief Minister had transferred funds to the national capital, though he offered no supporting evidence.

Sravan dismissed Revanth Reddy's assertion that Congress could secure 117 seats in the coming election, and recalled his earlier electoral loss in Kodangal. The MLC portrayed the Chief Minister as politically insecure and motivated by fear of losing office, suggesting this anxiety permeated his public communication.

Bhadrachalam Flood History and Technical Arguments

Sravan connected the Bhadradri Rama controversy to the ongoing dispute over the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project. He highlighted that Bhadrachalam had remained unharmed during major Godavari floods, including the 1986 event when the river carried approximately 36 lakh cusecs—roughly 311 TMC—without threatening the temple town. He noted that in 2022, a flow of nearly 24 lakh cusecs passed through the system without breaching the Medigadda Barrage.

Against this backdrop, Sravan questioned the credibility of warnings that 80,000 cusecs could destroy Bhadrachalam, characterising such statements as evidence of technical ignorance and fearmongering. Retired engineers, he claimed, had demonstrated that water could be lifted from the Godavari without closing the barrage, with the river flowing at approximately 96 metres while pumping could commence at 93 metres.

Sravan cited the Devadula project as a precedent for water lifting without a barrage structure. He pressed the government on why similar pumping operations had not commenced at Kannepalli.

Structural Repairs and Project Operations

While acknowledging that two Medigadda piers had subsided, Sravan accused the government of using this structural issue as a pretext to avoid repairs and water lifting operations. He claimed experienced engineers had repeatedly outlined technical solutions, yet the administration had disregarded their advice.

The BRS leader argued that the government should undertake repairs to damaged components rather than abandoning the project's irrigation purpose. He disputed claims that lifting water posed dangers to downstream regions, asserting that available water flows and pumping levels permitted safe operations.

Sravan characterised the government's approach as political theatre designed to mask administrative failure and lack of capacity or willingness to restore affected infrastructure.

Water Diversion Allegations

Sravan alleged that opening the Kannepalli pump house gates would allow water to naturally enter the pumping system. With Telangana farmers requiring irrigation water for transplantation, he accused the government of refusing to store or lift available Godavari water, instead allowing it to flow downstream toward Andhra Pradesh.

Drawing a comparison with Andhra Pradesh's Pattiseema project, through which he claimed eight TMC of water is lifted daily to the Krishna Basin, Sravan suggested that Telangana fields remained parched due to the government's failure to operate Kaleshwaram.

Sravan alleged that the Chief Minister favoured Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, describing Naidu as his political mentor and suggesting that Telangana's water resources were being sacrificed as a token of loyalty.

Farmer Advocacy and Final Demands

Employing forceful language, Sravan accused the Chief Minister of betraying Telangana's farming communities. He asserted that in some countries, rulers faced severe public consequences for actions harming agricultural populations, and characterised the alleged diversion of Telangana's water as betrayal of the state's interests.

The MLC insisted that the Chief Minister must answer whether political considerations outweighed the protection of crops and rural livelihoods. He demanded that the government commence water-lifting operations, undertake repairs to damaged structures, and cease what he termed misleading propaganda regarding Kaleshwaram.

Sravan reiterated his demand for an apology concerning the alleged Bhadradri Rama remarks, emphasising that the Chief Minister must demonstrate respect for religious faith and constitutional responsibility.