War of words: KTR blames Rahul for Musi demolitions; Congress alleges land grabs by BRS

Hyderabad: The Musi Riverfront Development Project has become a contentious issue between the ruling Congress party and the Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) after a war of words erupted between the leaders on Wednesday.

Rahul Gandhi was dragged into the issue by BRS working president KT Rama Rao with the claim that the senior Congress leader was profiting from the demolitions. Telangana Congress president Mahesh Goud hit back, questioning the need to throw mud at the party’s leadership regarding the controversy.

A day for ‘tu-tu main-main’ on Musi

Social media by Wednesday evening was busy sharing comments made by the two parties in separate media events; one by KTR and the other by TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud. In both events, the Musi Riverfront Development Project was the bone of contention with each party leaders flinging allegations against each other.

KTR alleges personal financial motive behind Musi Project

KTR alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accepted cash payments in exchange for houses being demolished along the Musi River. He claimed that while the project was being carried out in the name of ‘beautification,’ its true goal was ‘Musi loot-ification.’

Calling Rahul Gandhi the real in-charge of the Musi project, KTR stated that chief minister A Revanth Reddy was only the project’s public face.

“Congress leadership is only interested in money bags, not in public welfare. Rahul Gandhi is someone who visits Telangana when called and is nowhere to be found while the poor are suffering,” KTR told media persons

KTR also reiterated that the initiative was intended for financial benefit rather than public service and questioned the motivations of the Congress leadership. He promised to soon make public the Congress leadership’s role in the ‘unethical behaviour.’ KTR added that he knew the contractor Congress intended to award the multi-million Musi Riverfront Development Project.

Musi Project was started under KCR

Musi River Development project was conceived under the leadership of then chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao under the BRS government’s rule.

KTR, then minister of municipal administration and urban development (MAUD), had originally initiated the demolition of illegal structures across the river. The minutes of the meeting by the Musi Riverfront Development Corporation Limited were made public by the Congress government.

The river boundary and buffer zones were created during the previous BRS government’s rule but the project could not be implemented.

While the minutes of the meeting were not made public then, they are in public view now. The action across the riverbed has led to a man-nature conflict.

“The people living along the Musi River are the poorest of the poor and they are being relocated. But what mistake Congress has made is before creating proper awareness of the project, they have gone into action mode. This has led to a hue and cry. The opposition has taken advantage of this lacune and added to the fire,” explained a senior Congressman.

‘Opposition playing politics over Musi to defame the government’

Mahesh Goud questioned KTR’s intentions behind dragging Rahul Gandhi’s name on the Musi project.

He said, “Not a single house around the Musi has been removed so far. The State government is providing compensation to those around the closure as per the law. The BRS party is running a slanderous social media campaign with the money they have earned illegally.”

“Musi River would have to be developed by any government that has come to power. Cross Musi at night and the stink is horrible. Animal carcasses are thrown over there along with other wastes. The development of Musi is important for Hyderabad and the waterways have to be protected. The politics which is being played around this development is only to defame the government,” explained Congress MP Mallu Ravi.

“There is nothing wrong in what Madhu Yashki has said. If KTR can prove that I have collected a single rupee in the name of HYDRAA, I will jump from the Puranapul bridge. Can he do the same if he can’t prove it?” asked TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud. He also said that Telangana was looted in the name of trees, liquor and irrigation by BRS during their decade of rule.

“Everyone is welcoming HYDRAA, except the BRS leaders. Several BRS MLAs are in touch with us,” Mahesh Kumar Goud said.

Minister Konda Surekha slams BRS leaders

Reacting to the demolitions near Musi River catchment areas, forest minister Konda Surekha said, “We will identify those who are close to the river and give them double bedrooms and only then vacate them. Unnecessarily, the BRS leaders are provoking the public even before the houses are being demolished.”

She also alleged that BRS won’t allow the women leaders to grow politically. “Why didn’t the BRS include B Sobha and Rekha Naik in the Cabinet? The woman’s commission took suo moto on the remarks made by me on social media. We don’t abuse social media like them,” Konda Surekha said.