A Telangana minister on Friday alleged that former Chief Minister of combined Andhra Pradesh, late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, was responsible for the death of Telangana Congress leader P. Janardhan Reddy as the latter was opposed to Andhra drawing more water from the Pothireddypadu Head Regulator.
Telangana Excise Minister V. Srinivas Goud alleged that the late YSR had humiliated Janardhan Reddy, which led to the cardiac arrest Reddy suffered.
Addressing a news conference in New Delhi, the minister alleged that the doctors in the ambulance meant for then Chief Minister YSR did not come to Janardhan Reddy's rescue when he suffered cardiac arrest, adding that Reddy's life could have been saved.
Goud also claimed that YSR had ordered the killing of Maoists who were in favour of statehood to Telangana.
"The Maoists were called for talks and those sympathetic to the Telangana movement were killed in encounters," he claimed.
The minister said that many people believe that had YSR been alive, a separate Telangana state would not have become a reality.
He recalled that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) had sacrificed six ministerial posts in YSR's government when he diverted water through the Pothireddypadu Head Regulator.
Goud said during YSR's rule, injustice was meted out to Telangana by diverting its water, funds and even jobs.
The minister targeted YSR while slamming the Andhra Pradesh government for going ahead with the Rayalaseema lift irrigation project to deprive Telangana of its share of river water.
He said Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, like his father YSR, is illegally diverting water.
When asked about the friendly relations of the Telangana government with Jagan Mohan Reddy, Goud said they thought he had changed.
"We were hoping that we can solve all the inter-state problems amicably, but he has not changed," he said.
Goud's attack on YSR came amid the ongoing war of words between the two Telugu states over the Rayalaseema irrigation project.
Goud alleged that the Central government is not doing enough to settle the dispute. He said the Centre should intervene to stop Andhra Pradesh from going ahead with the project.
