Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], January 11 : Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President KT Rama Rao (KTR) on Friday criticised the ongoing Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRA) drive in Hyderabad, alleging that the state government is selectively demolishing houses of the poor while sparing illegal constructions linked to influential leaders.
Speaking to the media, KTR challenged Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to first act against alleged illegal buildings owned by senior Telangana Congress leaders, including Patnam Mahendar Reddy, KVP Ramachandar Rao, Vivek Venkat Swamy and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, instead of targeting the homes of underprivileged people.
KTR also took a dig at MLAs who were elected on BRS tickets and later joined the Congress party. Making satirical remarks, he questioned their achievements after switching sides and cautioned that power is not permanent.
Earlier in the day, KTR criticised the Congress government for allegedly attempting to illegally acquire 50 acres of land belonging to Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU). He made the remarks after meeting MANUU students at a residence in Nandi Nagar, Banjara Hills, where students apprised him of their concerns.
According to KTR, the students strongly opposed the state government's move to reclaim land previously allotted to the university, saying it would severely impact its future expansion and academic growth.
Addressing the media after the meeting, KTR alleged that the Congress government was systematically targeting university lands across the state and behaving like a "serial land snatcher."
He further said MANUU, the country's only exclusive Urdu university and a pride of Hyderabad, was being deliberately weakened for real estate interests. "The Congress wants to use a prestigious educational institution for real estate needs. This government has made it a process to grab university lands," KTR alleged.
Recalling past instances, KTR referred to earlier attempts to acquire land at the Agricultural University in the name of the High Court and an alleged bid to take over nearly 400 acres of Hyderabad Central University (HCU) land.