BRS terms GO 49 a Congress plot to evict tribals, demands immediate withdrawal

BRS leader RS Praveen Kumar has accused the Congress government of attempting to displace over 7 lakh tribals under the guise of tiger conservation via GO 49. He and other leaders have called for immediate withdrawal and threatened mass protests.

Hyderabad: BRS leader and former IPS officer RS Praveen Kumar on Wednesday accused the Congress government of hatching a conspiracy to displace over seven lakh tribals in the name of tiger conservation, calling for the immediate withdrawal of Government Order (GO) 49.

Addressing the media at Telangana Bhavan, Praveen Kumar said GO 49, issued to expand the Kawal-Tadoba Tiger Corridor, was a blatant violation of constitutional safeguards for tribals and the provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA). He alleged that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and the Congress government were betraying both Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Telangana.

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“Tribals in the erstwhile Adilabad district are being denied the right to cultivate their own lands, driven away from areas they have inhabited for generations—all for the sake of seven tigers,” he said.

Clarifying that the BRS was not opposed to wildlife conservation, Praveen Kumar said the party strongly objected to the displacement of tribals under the pretext of environmental protection. He recalled that the Congress had a long history of targeting tribal communities, citing the Indravelli massacre, and accused the present government of continuing that trend.

“While former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao increased the State’s green cover through Haritha Haaram, Revanth Reddy bulldozed 100 acres in Kancha Gachibowli and filed cases against tribal protestors at Lagacherla,” he pointed out.

BRS MLA Kova Lakshmi warned of intensified protests if GO 49 was not rolled back. She noted that even Congress MLAs had voiced opposition to the order. “The government is spreading fear in tribal areas of Asifabad while neglecting basic infrastructure. Tribal MLAs across party lines must come together to fight for their people,” she said.

She demanded the immediate withdrawal of GO 49 and warned of a mass agitation in coordination with tribal organisations. “If the Congress truly respects tribal communities, it must act now rather than invoke Komuram Bheem’s name only during elections,” she added, urging Tribal Welfare Minister D Anasuya alias Seethakka to intervene and protect tribal rights.