Hyderabad: CPI national secretary Narayana on Friday welcomed the Centre’s decision to hold a meeting with the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to resolve the long-standing inter-state water dispute. He said both states should proceed with irrigation projects only after their rightful shares in river waters are clearly determined.
He criticised the rebranding of TRS as BRS, stating that the Telangana sentiment had weakened as a result, and asserted that regional emotions no longer played a major role in the state’s politics. Defending Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Narayana described him as a democratically elected leader and not a nominated figure. “Revanth is a small man with great strength. He has done no injustice to Telangana,” he said, adding that political criticism against him should not be made under the guise of water disputes. “Using water issues for politics is akin to exploiting one’s mother,” he remarked.
On the Banakacharla project, Narayana said he was the first to raise the matter and accused TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu of exaggerating its importance. He noted that many pending projects remain incomplete and should be prioritised. He described Banakacharla as a low-priority project and estimated its actual cost at ₹2 lakh crore, not ₹80,000 crore as claimed. Narayana urged both states to execute projects in a spirit of cooperation and avoid disputes.