Harish Rao Challenges Congress Debt Claims, Sends Open Letter to Jupally

BRS senior leader and former minister T. Harish Rao has launched a fresh attack on the Congress government over its claims regarding Telangana's debt burden, addressing a strongly worded open letter to Excise Minister Jupally Krishna Rao and challenging the ruling party's narrative on the state's finances.

The letter has generated political interest as Harish Rao not only defended the debt figures cited by the previous BRS government but also shared supporting material, including Assembly speech videos and official Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, directly with the minister through WhatsApp.

In his letter, Harish Rao maintained that the total liabilities accumulated during the BRS government's nine-and-a-half-year tenure, including direct borrowings and loans backed by government guarantees, amounted to Rs 4.17 lakh crore . He asserted that the figures he had presented in the Assembly remain accurate and said he continues to stand by them.

The former minister challenged the Congress leadership to a public debate on the issue, stating that he was prepared to discuss the matter at any forum and at any time. He accused Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Congress ministers of repeatedly changing debt figures and making allegations without credible evidence.

Harish Rao further alleged that the debt numbers being projected by the Congress government do not match the figures contained in official RBI reports. Referring to a communication attributed to Minister Jupally, he noted that the Congress government had stated that borrowings between December 2023 and June 2026 stood at Rs 1,77,058 crore . However, citing RBI data, he claimed that the state's borrowings had reached Rs 1,86,067 crore as of June 30, 2026.

He also recalled that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had informed the Assembly on March 18, 2026, that the Congress government had incurred liabilities of Rs 3,47,294 crore , including borrowings under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) framework and other categories of debt.

According to Harish Rao, the Congress government has added significantly to Telangana's debt burden through multiple channels during its tenure. He said the Assembly records, the Chief Minister's statements and RBI documents had been shared with Jupally and urged him to examine the material carefully before making further claims.

The BRS leader also called on the Congress government to stop what he described as politically motivated and misleading statements regarding the state's debt position.