The war of words between the ruling Congress party and the BRS and BJP over the Hyderabad Metro project continues to intensify. Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy recently alleged that Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy is attempting to destroy the Hyderabad Metro project and that BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) is operating behind the scenes through Kishan Reddy. Revanth Reddy further claimed that KTR is trying to stall the Metro project because he fears that corruption allegedly committed during the previous BRS government in connection with the Metro project may come to light, and that Kishan Reddy is assisting him in this effort.
Responding strongly to these allegations, KTR hit back at the Chief Minister. He criticized the Revanth Reddy government for failing to secure approval for Hyderabad Metro Phase-II and said that this failure reflects the government’s incompetence. KTR accused the Chief Minister of spreading false propaganda against BRS in an attempt to cover up his inability to obtain the Metro Phase-II project from the Central Government.
KTR questioned why cities such as Visakhapatnam, Ahmedabad, and others have received Metro project approvals from the Centre while Hyderabad has not. He demanded that Revanth Reddy first explain to the people why he failed to bring the project to Hyderabad.
He further challenged the Chief Minister, asking whether he lacks the ability to convince the Central Government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to approve the Metro expansion. “If you have the courage and capability, go and convince the Prime Minister and bring the funds,” KTR said. He alleged that the Congress government is attempting to mislead the public by blaming BRS for its own failures.
KTR stated that when BRS came to power in 2014, the Metro project was only 28 percent complete under the previous Congress government. He claimed that under the leadership of former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), the remaining 72 percent of the work was completed. Despite a lack of support from the Centre, the BRS government secured loans and successfully completed the Metro project, he said.
According to KTR, the Metro was completed within three years and now serves around five lakh passengers every day, which he described as a testament to the efficiency of the BRS government. He also accused the Revanth Reddy government of betraying the people by canceling the Shamshabad Metro project soon after coming to power, despite the extensive Metro expansion plans prepared by the previous BRS administration.
KTR further alleged that the state government was attempting to drive out the construction company in order to gain control over Metro assets and lands worth nearly ₹30,000 crore. He demanded that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy apologize to the people of Telangana for failing to secure Metro Phase-II and for allegedly disrupting the progress of Phase-I.
The political battle over Hyderabad Metro Phase-II continues to fuel a heated exchange of allegations among Telangana’s three major political parties.
