Stop bulldozer threats, withdraw Musi River beautification plans: Harish Rao

During his public address, Harish Rao criticized the State government's Musi Riverfront Development project, accusing Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy of displacing thousands of poor families under the guise of development. He condemned the government's misplaced priorities, arguing that it was endangering citizens' lives to benefit corporate interests.

Hyderabad: A day after the victims of the Musi Riverfront Development Project approached the BRS at Telangana Bhavan for help, elected representatives of the party led by former Minister and senior BRS MLA T Harish Rao visited the affected areas on Sunday. They interacted with the families and listened to their woes, assuring that the BRS would stand with them throughout the struggle.

Addressing the public during the visit, Harish Rao criticised the State government’s Musi Riverfront Development project, charging Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy with displacing thousands of poor families in the name of development. He questioned the misplaced priorities of the State government for jeopardising the lives of citizens to make way for corporate companies.

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The former Minister stated that Revanth Reddy was acting like a real estate businessman, evicting the poor in the name of beautification. Thousands are being made homeless, and the victims are being terrorised, he said. He demanded that the Chief Minister address the affected families and halt the project.

“Revanth Reddy should come out and announce withdrawal of the project immediately. The government should be with the people, not against them. Rather than improving their lives, the Congress government is destroying them with such brainless actions,” he said.

Harish Rao promised support from the BRS party, offering shelter at Telangana Bhavan to anyone displaced. “Our doors are open 24/7. Call us, and I will be here in half an hour. If bulldozers come, they will have to go over us first,” he stated.

During his visit to the affected areas, the BRS legislator criticised the allocation of funds for the project, pointing out that while Rs 1,50,000 crore was being spent on beautification, basic public services remain neglected. “Revanth Reddy has no money for his election promises but finds Rs 1.5 lakh crore for this project,” he ridiculed.

He also said the government was demolishing homes to hand over land to corporations, calling the administration “Tughlaq-style” governance. He warned that the BRS would not stand by as the homes of the poor were destroyed. He advised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to replace the Congress party’s designated hand symbol with a bulldozer as the Congress government has become, a bulldozer of the poor,” he remarked.

The BRS legislators visited the affected areas of Hydershahkote, Sun City, Langer Houz, and surrounding areas, to listen to the challenges faced by the locals especially those who are facing the threat of losing their houses. They reassured that the BRS would stand with the victims to safeguard their hard earned properties. They pointed out that it was the previous Congress and the TDP governments, which approved these layouts and permissions for construction of houses, besides collecting all types of taxes and charges.