Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], November 13 (ANI): Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Friday launched a scathing counter-offensive against the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), defending his government's decision to focus heavily on climate change and looming water scarcity at the ongoing Bharat Summit 2026.
Answering a query from ANI regarding the conclave's agenda, Reddy acknowledged his own administrative and scientific limitations while taking a sharp swipe at BRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) and working president KT Rama Rao (KTR). The Chief Minister emphasised that expert insights are indispensable for tackling impending agrarian and ecological challenges.
"A water crisis is looming—which is why we have convened a discussion on the 'El Niño' phenomenon," Reddy told ANI.
"We need to explore how to resolve this issue by maximising yields while using minimal water; for this, expert advice is essential. I haven't read 80,000 books like KCR has—my knowledge is quite limited. I am well-versed in politics, but I don't have much expertise regarding climate issues. That is why we have invited climate experts to offer suggestions to the Telangana State Government. We are gathering information to address and resolve this problem," he added.
Shifting his focus to KTR, Reddy accused the BRS leadership of hypocrisy and political opportunism regarding water scarcity. He alleged that the opposition had ignored the administration's early warnings for months before suddenly changing tune for political convenience.
"The real issue here is that KTR lacks common sense—that is the biggest problem," Reddy charged. "He is only interested in creating social media reels; he has even hired two or three agencies specifically for the sake of social media soundbites. He has no genuine concern for the water scarcity in Telangana. We have been raising this issue for the past few months, but they ignored it—now, suddenly, they acknowledge that a water crisis exists," he said.
The remarks were made on the sidelines of the high-profile Bharat Summit 2026 in Hyderabad, a multi-day international conclave organised by the Congress and the state government.
Bringing together nearly 1,000 delegates, global policymakers, and progressive thinkers from 70 countries, the summit has featured extensive deliberations on geopolitics, sustainable development, AI, and climate adaptation strategies alongside political discourse.
The Chief Minister also criticised the Centre over what he described as preferential treatment to Gujarat in attracting investments, questioning why similar opportunities and incentives were not extended to Telangana and other states.
"As long as the Congress party is there, there will be a level playing field for everyone—no partiality. The Prime Minister seems to suggest that anyone who approaches him should go and invest in Gujarat, promising them incentives. Why is Gujarat International Finance Tec-City ('GIFT) City' located only in Gujarat? Why wasn't a GIFT City established in Telangana? They have effectively created a 'tax haven island' within Gujarat under the guise of 'GIFT City.' Why didn't they provide similar opportunities to Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, or any other state? This clearly demonstrates their partiality," he said. (ANI)
"I haven't read 80,000 books like KCR has": Telangana CM defends climate focus at Bharat Summit 2026, hits out at KTR over water crisis
