Karnataka BJP chief alleges political motive in Krishna water release to Telangana
B.Y. Vijayendra said Karnataka was sending about 2.5 TMCft of Krishna river water to Telangana for political reasons and asked the State government to explain the basis for the release.
Speaking in Vijayapura, BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra alleged that Karnataka is releasing about 2.5 TMCft of Krishna river water to Telangana for political reasons. He asked the D.K. Shivakumar government to state the rule, judgment or policy underpinning the release.
The allegation comes amid recent inter-State water arrangements. The Times of India reported in September that Karnataka had assured Telangana of a phased release of 3 TMCft from the Narayanpur reservoir. Telangana had meanwhile opened canals from the Jurala project to protect standing crops rather than wait for the upstream supply. Vijayendra said the current release was driven by political ties between Congress governments in the two States. His remarks do not independently establish the volume or legal basis of the present release.
The BJP leader also called for greater assistance to drought-hit farmers. He described current compensation as symbolic and demanded crop-loss payments and incentives for dairy farming. Citing Maharashtra, he said that State had waived farm loans of up to ₹1 lakh per farmer. He asked Karnataka to waive loans up to ₹2 lakh. He also recalled that his party had sought compensation of ₹50,000 per hectare and a loan waiver of up to ₹5 lakh during a special legislature session.
Vijayendra accused the State government of prioritising real-estate projects over rural relief. He cited the Greater Bengaluru Authority, the Bidadi Township Project and ring roads in taluk-level towns. He also described Karnataka as facing a financial emergency and said more than 2.5 lakh posts in government departments remained vacant.
In the same remarks, he said the government had failed to keep its promises and that the drought was fuelling discontent among farmers, agricultural labourers, homemakers and traders. He further alleged that cases related to Form 7 objections in the Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls were being used to intimidate BJP workers. The Hindu report did not include a response from the Karnataka government.
