Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has intensified his criticism of former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), accusing him of severe injustices related to river water allocation and irrigation projects, going so far as to say KCR deserves to be "hung" for his actions. Reddy's remarks, made during a presentation on water issues, have sparked controversy and drawn strong reactions from KCR's Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party.

Reddy has accused KCR and T. Harish Rao of causing significant harm to Telangana's irrigation projects, even more so than during the unified Andhra Pradesh era. He claimed that KCR's decisions regarding water sharing had put Telangana in a helpless position, with injustices that would take a century to undo. He stated that the BRS government caused "irreparable damage" to the state's water rights, economy, and irrigation sector. Reddy alleged that KCR effectively signed a "death warrant" for three districts by agreeing to a smaller share of Krishna river waters for Telangana.

Drawing a parallel to the 2008 Mumbai attacks, Reddy stated that even Ajmal Kasab, the terrorist, received a fair trial in India, implying KCR should face similar accountability. "If Kasab had so many facilities, imagine how many KCR would have," he remarked, suggesting KCR's wealth would allow him to afford any lawyer. He also invoked a quote from Telangana poet Kaloji Narayana Rao, stating that those from the region who exploit it should be "buried alive".

Reddy's criticism centers on several key issues. He accused KCR of shifting the source of water for the Palamuru Rangareddy lift irrigation scheme (PRLIS) from Jurala to the Srisailam reservoir without cabinet approval. He claimed this decision led to an increase in the number of pumps and further complicated Telangana's water rights. Reddy also alleged that KCR gifted 512 TMC ft of water from the Krishna river to Andhra Pradesh until the Brijesh Kumar tribunal makes a final allocation. He criticized KCR for not pursuing the speeding up of these hearings. Furthermore, Reddy claimed that the cost of the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation project was inflated from over Rs 30,000 crore to Rs 80,000 crore to benefit contractors.

In response to KCR's criticism of the current government, Reddy challenged KCR to an open debate on the river water issues in the Assembly. He assured that KCR would be treated with respect and that his suggestions would be considered. This invitation was seen as a jab at KCR, who has avoided Assembly sessions since the BRS lost power in 2023. Reddy stated that the government is ready to hold a special session of the Assembly on water sharing issues and present evidence of how Telangana was deprived of its due share of water during the BRS rule.