KTR slams Congress over HCU land issue, calls for environmental accountability

BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Monday met protesting students of Hyderabad Central University (HCU) and criticized the Congress government for rushing to acquire the last remaining green space in West Hyderabad without conducting an environmental impact assessment. He alleged that the police entered the HCU campus without the vice chancellor’s permission.

Rao also took aim at Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, for his silence on the issue, despite his past opposition to the destruction of the Aarey forest in Mumbai and the Hasdeo forests in Chhattisgarh. He urged HCU alumni in the Cabinet, such as Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu and D Sridhar Babu, to speak out.

Advertisement

Accusing Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy of prioritizing real estate gains over the welfare of students, the environment, and the city’s future, Rao said, “HCU and its surrounding areas are among the last green lungs of this part of the city. Destroying them without an Environmental Impact Assessment is a crime against Hyderabad’s future. Are we heading toward a Delhi-like situation where breathing becomes a luxury?”

Rao, popularly known as KTR, pointed out that the government has access to 45,000 acres for projects like Future City and Pharma City. “If you have so much land, why this desperate, barbaric assault on a mere 400 acres critical to education and the environment?” he questioned.

The BRS leader also accused Rahul Gandhi of hypocrisy. “Can’t you hear the cries of the wildlife being crushed under bulldozers? Don’t the visuals of students being dragged and beaten reach you? Where is your commitment to democracy and the environment now?” he asked.

He also challenged the BJP to clarify its stance on the issue. Assuring the HCU students of his party’s support, Rao said, “We will raise this issue on every platform – Parliament, Rajya Sabha, and the public sphere – to hold Revanth Reddy and his government accountable.”

Protests have been ongoing against the government’s plan to develop 400 acres of land in Kancha Gachibowli, adjacent to HCU, which environmental activists have described as an urban forest. A large police force was sent to clear the land, leading to resistance from students.