Kancha Gachibowli row: KTR appeals to protect the biodiversity

Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao has welcomed the state government's move to dismiss complaints filed against Hyderabad Central University (HCU) students and requested that the Congress government reconsider its plans to sell 400 acres at Kancha Gachibowli.

"The Kancha Gachibowli land problem is part of a larger swindle. A BJP MP is also implicated, and I will reveal all the frauds in the next couple of days," KTR said to the media in an informal chit-chat held at his Nandi Nagar residence here on Tuesday.

Initiate stern action on those responsible for destruction of HCU’s biodiversity

The BRS leader said that the 400 acres of land in the HCU is public land and everyone, including students and environmentalists, are appealing to conserve it, and it is the largest lung space available for Hyderabad. Apart from withdrawing cases filed against HCU students, the Congress government should initiate stern action against those responsible for the destruction of rich biodiversity in the lands.

Recalling that Bollywood celebrities have previously faced consequences for hunting blackbuck, KTR requested that "all those responsible for the deaths of deer and dislocation of animals should be punished severely." Regarding the Kancha Gachibowli land dispute, the Congress government was deceiving the court by claiming that there were no deer present. According to previous reports from the Nehru Zoological Park, injured wild animals—such as peacocks and deer—were moved to the zoo park for medical care, he said.

“Our fight will continue until the Kancha Gachibowli land auction is canceled,” he vowed, challenging Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to clarify when he fought to protect these lands. KTR criticized the government’s double standards, noting that while it calls Andhra Pradesh’s Rushikonda project destructive, it denies similar environmental harm in Kancha Gachibowli.

AI means ‘Anumula Intelligence’

Asserting that artificial intelligence was being used to produce phony photos and films that were widely circulated on social media regarding the Kancha Gachibowli row, the Congress government was criticizing prominent figures from many sectors, KTR said. "The Congress government is attempting to distract attention from the main issue. We might also call it Anumula Revanth Reddy Intelligence," he added.

Taking a dig at the Congress leaders for their irrelevant statements on the Kancha Gachibowli row, KTR said that, ironically, Congress leaders did not coordinate on the matter. TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud stated that there was no intention to move the university to the Fourth City, despite a Congress MP announcing that this was the case. “Revanth Reddy is a failed chief minister, so AICC Telangana in charge Meenakshi Natarajan was involved to sort out the HCU issue,” he added.

BJP protecting Revanth Reddy in Telangana

The BRS working president also accused the BJP leadership of protecting Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy in Telangana. “Revanth Reddy is the most powerful chief minister in the country for uniting the two national parties– BJP and Congress-and he is “Joint Chief Minister” of both parties. Recently, Revanth Reddy achieved 28th position for most powerful leader in the country in a survey conducted by a vernacular media. The latter should be given 1 rank for making BJP and Congress work together,” he said.

“Why is the BJP not playing a crucial role in preventing the auctioning of 400 acres of land in the HCU despite being in power at the Center? Apart from that, a couple of instances also expose the understanding between the Congress and the BJP secret pact in the state– despite submitting necessary evidence to the Center, no action has been taken on Revanth Reddy in the AMRUT scam and what happened to the central agencies why are the remaining mum after conducting searches at the residence of Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy,” KTR questioned.

Former Minister KTR also questioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself said that Revanth and Rahul (RR) should be taxed but why no action was taken. Why will we stay away from contesting in the MLC elections for the BJP? We did not have enough numbers to contest in the Hyderabad constituency. “We will have our own policy on contesting in the elections,” he added.

KTR Slams Center Over Petrol Price Hike, US Tariffs

KTR strongly criticized the central government for its recent petrol price hike, labeling it “unusual” at a time when global crude oil prices are falling. “While petrol prices are decreasing worldwide, only the Modi government is raising gas and petrol rates here,” he said. He warned that the fuel price hike would lead to a steep rise in essential commodity prices and transport costs, severely affecting common people. “Is this the ‘Acche Din’ promised by the BJP?” he asked, accusing the government of reducing rates only before elections for publicity.

KTR pointed out the Centre’s strategy of increasing prices through cesses rather than taxes to centralize funds. “A Rs 2 cess hike on petrol, a gas cylinder price increase, and a stock market crash—all in one day—mark a Modi hat-trick,” he remarked.

He also slammed the Center for its silence on new US tariffs introduced by President Trump, which he said would cause significant losses to Telangana. "The PM, Finance Minister, and Commerce Minister have not uttered a word. We demanded a parliamentary debate, but it’s been ignored,” he said. The tariffs, he warned, would severely impact Telangana’s pharma and IT exports—key sectors for the state’s development. “If these sectors suffer, Telangana’s economic progress will take a hit,” he cautioned.

KTR accused the BJP-led Center of inaction, noting that public wealth is eroding due to US tariffs and flawed economic policies. “The government has no answers or policy on this issue,” he said.

KTR affirmed that the BRS would continue fighting on behalf of the people, regardless of government repression. He cited the Supreme Court’s Green Bench ruling confirming the presence of a forest and wildlife, questioning the government’s defiance of a verdict by a judge set to become Chief Justice. “Without an environmental impact assessment, the government tried to flatten the land with dozens of JCBs, even misleading the courts,” he alleged, promising to soon expose a multi-thousand-crore scam behind the land auction.

Telangana Water Exploitation

KTR accused the Revanth Reddy-led government of allowing rampant exploitation of Telangana’s rightful water share since coming to power. “Due to the state’s negligence, our share of Godavari waters is going to waste,” he said. He criticized the appointment of Adityanath Das—who argued against Telangana projects on behalf of Andhra Pradesh—as the state’s irrigation advisor, questioning if Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu had influenced Reddy.

“The irrigation advisor is working solely for Andhra’s interests. How can we stop their water exploitation in this situation?” KTR asked. He noted that while the BRS utilized 36% of Sagar waters during its tenure, the Congress government has not even managed 24%, leading to crops drying up across lakhs of acres in the Krishna and Godavari basins due to neglected repairs and maintenance.

Trusting BJP Will Ruin Telangana

KTR questioned the BJP’s commitment to farmers, asking if it has replicated BRS’s welfare schemes anywhere in India. “Should Telangana farmers trust a party that installs meters on their motors? "Has the BJP waived farm loans in any state?” he challenged. He warned that relying on Delhi-based parties like the BJP would doom Telangana, citing its black farm laws that claimed farmers’ lives and the recent petrol price hike favoring oil companies.

Delhi-Based Parties

KTR criticized the two national parties—Congress and BJP—stating their fates are controlled by Delhi. “We warned that handing Telangana to national parties would mean remote control from Delhi,” he said. He pointed out the Congress’s inability to expand its cabinet and the BJP’s failure to secure additional funds for Telangana despite MPs, accusing both of being subservient to the Delhi leadership.

KTR also dismissed the Congress government’s claims of introducing fine rice in gurukul hostels as a new achievement, noting it was done long ago under BRS. On delimitation, he said the party has been vocal since 2022 about the injustice to southern states and welcomed other parties raising the issue now. He termed Telangana’s Congress governance a “disaster,” citing Reddy’s admission in the Assembly of dependence on loans and the lack of coordination among ministers.

BRS Silver Jubilee Celebrations

KTR outlined plans for the party’s silver jubilee celebrations. He assured that the public meeting in Elkathurthy, Warangal, will be held in an area that avoids traffic disruptions and minimizes inconvenience to the public. Spanning 1,200 acres, the event will include parking facilities and grand arrangements. KTR highlighted that only two parties in the Telugu states—Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and BRS—have successfully completed 25 years. “This is why we are celebrating our silver jubilee throughout the year,” he said.

The BRS has sought permission for the meeting on March 28, submitting an application to the district police. KTR personally met the Director General of Police (DGP) to request approval. The party also requested 3,000 buses from the Road Transport Corporation (RTC), which has agreed in principle. With March 27 being a Sunday—a holiday for students—KTR emphasized that the event would not inconvenience anyone.

Party president KCR personally reviewed preparations with leaders and representatives from all 33 districts, and committees have been formed to oversee the event. “This will be one of the largest gatherings in our party’s history, akin to the massive Warangal meeting held previously,” KTR stated.

Following the public meeting, the party will enroll students and activists as members through a fully digital process, followed by the election of a president. State and district committees will be established, and training sessions for workers will be conducted across districts. “We’ve planned a year-long schedule, with one program each month, focusing on organizational growth and addressing public issues,” he added.

KTR recalled past instances where the government denied permission for BRS events, causing difficulties. "If permission is denied this time, we will approach the courts to secure it. The government has no reason to refuse—this is simply a peaceful celebration,” he asserted.