Would not tolerate demolition of poor people's houses in Musi rejuvenation: Kishan Reddy

Hyderabad: Union Minister and Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy on Friday said his party is not opposed to Musi river rejuvenation taken up by the Congress government in Hyderabad but that it would not tolerate demolition of poor people's houses during its implementation.

Addressing a 'Maha Dharna' organised by BJP against the Congress government's alleged anti-poor attitude in the project, he said police and bullets cannot stop the poor when there is outrage among them over demolition of their houses.

The Congress government has not laid foundation stone for construction of any poor people's housing programme since it assumed office 10 months ago but is trying to demolish houses of poor in the name of Musi beautification, he alleged.

Responding to CM Revanth Reddy's comments that opposition leaders should stay in the houses on the banks of the highly-polluted river for at least three months instead of occasional visits, Kishan Reddy said his party leaders are ready to stay in such homes.

The BJP leaders are even ready to go to jail in the fight to prevent demolition of houses of the poor, he said.

BJP activists are ready to do 'karseva' for cleansing the river but the party would not tolerate razing of houses of poor, Kishan Reddy said.

"Over the past three months, the Congress government in Telangana has been trying to destroy thousands of homes of poor people on the banks of Musi River in the name of beautifying the Musi River," he told PTI.

Beautification cannot be done by knocking down houses, he said. The Congress government has proposed to take up the rejuvenation of Musi river which flows through the city and it has appointed consultants to prepare plans for the project, including cost.

Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar, BJP MP Eatala Rajender, party MLAs and other leaders attended the protest.

Inputs from PTI