Police permission for BRS Nalgonda meeting; Congress plans counter meeting

HYDERABAD: Nalgonda is on the verge of becoming a focal point of political tension in Telangana as the main opposition party, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) is preparing to host a massive public meeting on February 13 on the contentious issue of handing over control of Telangana projects on the Krishna River to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB).

The announcement of holding the public meeting was made by BRS President K Chandrashekhar Rao during a meeting at Telangana Bhavan on Tuesday. Over 3 lakh people are expected to attend the proposed meeting, marking the first public meeting of the BRS as the main opposition in Telangana.

Alsp Read: KCR to launch movement in Nalgonda on November 13 to protect Telangana's water rights

However, conflicting reports have surfaced regarding police permission for the BRS meeting. Initially, it was reported that Nalgonda District SP Chandana Deepti announced the enforcement of Section 30, 30 (A) of the Police Act 1861 for a month in the district, prohibiting dharnas, rallies, protests, and open meetings without prior permission. Yet, unverified reports later suggested that permission had been granted for the BRS meeting, adding an air of uncertainty. Despite efforts by the NewsTAP team, direct contact with District SP Chandana Deepti proved elusive as her phone was reported to be 'out of reach.'

Simultaneously, the ruling Congress party is gearing up for a significant meeting in Nalgonda, with plans to invite AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi. The Congress Government is planning to launch two guarantees: providing gas cylinders for Rs 500 and free power for up to 200 units in the proposed meeting. The State Cabinet has already cleared these proposals, and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy will make a formal announcement in the ensuing budget session of the Telangana Legislature beginning from 8th February.

A heated verbal exchange on Krishna River issues has erupted between BRS and Congress leaders, with each accusing the other of compromising Telangana's interests by ceding control of projects to KRMB, controlled by the Central Government. While the opposition BRS has accused the The Congress Government of surrendering Telangana's interest by handing over control of projects on the Krishna River to KRMB, the ruling party has categorically denied making any such move and asserted that it was the previous BRS government that agreed to hand over the projects.

Also read: KCR euphoria at Telangana Bhavan, public meeting on Feb 13 to agitate for Krishna water rights

This verbal conflict has reached its peak, with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy using derogatory language to attack former CM KCR, which was later countered with equal intensity by BRS leaders. Notably, an FIR has been issued against BRS leader Balka Suman for an incident involving the display of slippers during a press conference.

As the Lok Sabha elections loom, political tensions are expected to escalate, with Nalgonda likely at the epicentre. In the previous Assembly elections, the Congress party secured 11 out of 12 Assembly seats in the erstwhile Nalgonda district. With the BRS aiming to showcase its resilience and the Congress projecting its invincibility through a counter-meeting, Nalgonda is set to witness a political showdown with broader implications for the upcoming elections.