Congress is a closed chapter: Kadiyam Srihari

Warangal: Former Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari came down heavily on Congress for its criticism against Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, who has been trying to find a lasting solution for addressing the water problem by linking Krishna and Godavari rivers.

Speaking to the party cadres before heading to Kaleshwaram Lift irrigation Project site at Madikonda on Wednesday, he accused the Congress leaders of turning a blind eye when Andhra leaders were diverting Telangana share of waters to their region in the undivided AP.

The Congress leaders belonging to Telangana had always tried to protect their posts instead of protecting the interests of the region, he said. During their regime, the Congress leaders had looted the State in the name of irrigation project, he alleged. "Many of the Congress top leaders who mired in corruption during their regime, are now doing rounds to CBI, Enforcement Directorate (ED) and ACB facing investigation," he said, stating that Congress has patent on corruption.

In Telangana, Congress which is on the verge of collapsing is a closed chapter, he said. Training guns against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Srihari said that party appears to be on a high after winning four MP seats in Telangana, but in reality, it needs to search for its entity in rural parts of the State.

He said that BJP-led Central government has done nothing for Telangana in its five-year rule. The Centre, which gave national status to Polavaram project, showed empty hand to Kaleshwaram project. "Even though Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao made several appeals, the Centre didn't show any concern towards Telangana projects," he said. Both Congress and BJP have no stamina to stand against the TRS, he said.

Referring to the Kaleshwaram visit, he said that it was an effort to clear the doubts over the project planted by the Opposition parties. "KLIP is an engineering marvel and the whole credit goes to KCR," he said. Warangal will be the first beneficiary of the KLIP, Srihari said, referring to the water diversion to Mid Manair and Lower Manair dams in Karimnagar district that irrigate thousands of acres in erstwhile Warangal district.