HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday said that BRS leaders would have ended up in the Cherlapally Central Prison, where he was lodged over the drone flying issue in 2020, had he resorted to vindictive politics.
Speaking in the Legislative Assembly, the chief minister recalled his “pathetic” plight in prison and how he was harassed for 16 days, while accusing the then BRS government of resorting to vindictive politics.
The chief minister intervened during the discussion on Appropriation Bill 2025–26 in the Assembly, in response to allegations of the government resorting to vindictive politics.
“If this government really decided to resort to vindictive politics, you [BRS leaders] would not have an opportunity to speak freely as per your whims and fancies by rising from your seats in the Assembly today. You would have been in Cherlapally Central Jail’s detention cell where I was lodged without permission to meet anyone. But my government hasn’t done any vendetta politics in the last 15 months,” the CM said.
Revanth said that he was arrested in a case related to flying a drone, which attracts a fine of Rs 500. He said that a station bail should have been granted in such cases, but the then BRS government sent him to jail and lodged him in a prison where Naxalites, terrorists and notorious criminals are lodged.
“It was a very tiny space of seven feet, of which 3.5 feet is a sleeping space, and the remaining a toilet. They didn’t even turn off the lights, which attracted insects and lizards. Out of fear, I didn’t even sleep during the night for 16 days. I used to sleep under a tree on the jail premises. I literally didn’t get to meet a single person for 16 days,” he said.
The CM offered to arrange a visit for the legislature members to Cherlapally prison to see the conditions where he was lodged.
He also recalled how he languished in jail in the vote-for-note case, when he was not even allowed to attend a family function.
“I went to my daughter’s Lagna Patrika function from jail and returned immediately to prison right after the event,” the chief minister said.
He, however, said that he ensured that his anger died down as the people of Telangana voted him to power to govern the state and not to indulge in vindictive politics.
“I thought that God would punish the people who troubled me. The day I was sworn in as CM, as God dictated, he [KCR] was admitted to hospital,” the CM added.
Referring to irrigation projects, the CM said that the BRS government had spent Rs 1 lakh crore on the Kaleshwaram project, to bring water drawn from Sripada Yellampally and Sriramsagar projects to Mallannasagar, Ranganayakasagar and Kondapochammasagar, but the outcome was a “big zero”.
He also accused the previous government of diverting Kondapochammasagar reservoir waters to KCR’s farmhouse.
“Isn’t it a fact that water was lifted to KCR’s farmhouse from Kondapochammasagar reservoir? Is it not true that Harish Rao owns a farmhouse near Ranganayakasagar? Is BRS ready for an investigation into this? If ready, we will constitute a fact-finding committee. Should we show evidence that the canals around the farmhouse were taken away? Why are you still lying,” he said.
‘BRS instigating people’
Revanth also accused the BRS of instigating people to protest against land acquisition for development projects in Lagcherla.
Though the previous government had paid Rs 1.2 lakh crore for the Kaleshwaram project when it was in power, the (Justice PC Ghose) Commission has given a report that the BRS committed fraud, the CM said. He added that his government will table that report in the next Assembly session.
He alleged that the BRS government acquired lands forcefully for the Kaleshwaram project.
“Kamareddy people gave a befitting mandate to KCR in the Assembly elections. Why are you still playing games even after being rejected by the people?” he asked.
Expressing his anger over the Opposition opposing land acquisition, he wanted to know from the opposition benches, “Should the government go ahead with Musi rejuvenation or not? Shouldn’t we build Metro rail or Regional Ring Road?” he asked.