Protests were staged across Telangana, particularly in Mahabubnagar, Ranga Reddy and Nalgonda districts, on Tuesday against the three-day agitation launched by YSR Congress party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy at Kurnool on Monday opposing Palamuru-Ranga Reddy and Dindi lift irrigation projects planned by Telangana.
Effigies and portraits of Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy were burnt and demonstrations were held against the attitude of the YSR Congress chief. Activists of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) allegedly attacked the YSR Congress party office in Mahabubnagar, protesting the agitation in Kurnool.
The two irrigation projects, sanctioned during the combined Andhra Pradesh Government, were redesigned and taken up by the Telangana Government recently to provide irrigation facility and to meet drinking water needs in the upland areas of Mahabubnagar, Ranga Reddy and Nalgonda districts. Together, the two projects have a combined irrigation potential of about 12.5 lakh acres, besides providing safe drinking water en route, including the fluoride-affected Devarakonda and Munugodu areas of Nalgonda district.
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However, Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in AP Assembly, has launched the protest to corner the TDP Government there since the YSR Congress party has very little or no stakes left in Telangana. Three MLAs and one MP, all of whom were elected on YSRCP tickets from Khammam district in 2014 elections, have joined the ruling TRS over the last two years.
According to information reaching here, TRS activists attacked the YSRCP office at Mahabubnagar and pulled off sign boards and flags, besides burning an effigy of Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy.
Protests were also staged at Jadcherla, Shadnagar, Narayanpet, Nagarkurnool and other areas in Mahabubnagar district demanding withdrawal of the YSRCP chief’s agitation.
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Speaking at a demonstration at Warangal, district president of TRS T. Ravinder Rao sought to know why Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy had launched the agitation against Telangana projects as he had been speaking about late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s love for Telangana and the projects sanctioned by him. Telangana is only planning to utilise its judicious share of river waters and not violating others’ rights, he noted.
In Hyderabad, an effigy of Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy was burnt and YSRCP’s flag post was damaged in Uppal.
Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Talasani Srinivas Yadav termed the YSRCP chief’s deeksha as petty politics to corner the government there.