CM portraying legitimate farmers’ protests as political conspiracy to acquire lands for Pharma Village: KTR

Villagers have been fighting for justice for about nine months, yet neither the Chief Minister nor his officials had addressed their grievances. "Instead, they conspired to acquire land forcibly by creating a law and order problem," he said.

Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Thursday accused Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy of attempts to portray the genuine farmers’ protests in Lagacherla as a political conspiracy to forcibly acquire land for the Pharma Village intended for his son-in-law. Revanth Reddy, who was jailed in the cash for vote case, was seeking to imprison him to derive “psychotic pleasure”, he said.

In an informal interaction with mediapersons at Telangana Bhavan on Thursday amid speculations of his arrest, Rama Rao criticised the public hearing at Lagacherla and subsequent arrests of farmers, terming them part of a broader scheme to suppress dissent and acquire land forcibly. Villagers have been fighting for justice for about nine months, yet neither the Chief Minister nor his officials had addressed their grievances. “Instead, they conspired to acquire land forcibly by creating a law and order problem,” he said.

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The BRS working president condemned the police brutality, especially by the Vikarabad SP, against the arrested villagers and assaulting them by acting like Revanth Reddy’s private army. He stated that over 52 villagers were detained and assaulted. He questioned the police’s motives for implicating BRS activist B Suresh, who merely facilitated discussions between locals and officials. When reminded about the police remand report terming former MLA Patnam Narender Reddy and Suresh as prime accused and conspirators, he asked since when was a party activist speaking to his party leader a crime.

He vowed to escalate the matter to the National SC/ST Commission, Human Rights Commission, and Women’s Commission, questioning the silence of political parties and human rights groups in the State. “Even Maoists have condemned the arrests,” he pointed out.

Rama Rao accused the Congress government of sabotaging the Pharma City project initiated by the previous BRS regime and of raising curtains for a real estate scandal. “We worked for eight years to acquire 14,000 acres for Pharma City, ensuring economic benefits for Telangana. But Revanth Reddy’s government scrapped it, raising curtains for the real estate scandal under the guise of Pharma Villages,” he said.

He said Revanth Reddy’s focus was not on industrial growth but on personal profiteering.

“He scrapped Pharma City to launch real estate ventures, exploiting land prices that skyrocketed under former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s leadership,” he remarked. He questioned why Revanth Reddy, who as TPCC president had opposed pharma companies, was now keen for their establishment.

The former Minister lashed out at the Congress government for misusing conditional land acquired for industrial purposes for real estate. Revanth Reddy was misleading both the High Court and the public with regard to cancellation of Pharma City, he said, adding that the latter’s focus was not on development but on personal gains.

He dismissed allegations of BRS plotting to topple the Congress government and argued that Congress should complete its term, which would politically benefit BRS. On rumours of his arrest, he felt that it was not Congress, but Revanth Reddy who wanted to imprison him.

“Revanth Reddy has special love for me and hence, targeted me. I have faced jail during the Telangana movement and will continue to fight even if arrested,” he asserted.

Rama Rao challenged Revanth to focus on governance rather than targeting him. “I’m not involved in drugs, phone tapping, or corruption as being alleged by the Congress. These are mere distractions to cover their failures,” he asserted, challenging Revanth Reddy to do whatever he wanted to and that he would come out clean.

“Revanth claims he will finish K Chandrashekhar Rao, but he should worry about his political survival first as leaders within his party are awaiting for an opportunity against him. Telangana needs leadership with vision, not vendetta,” he added.