Hyderabad (Telengana) [India], March 29 (ANI): Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working President K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, accusing him of resorting to intimidation whenever questions are raised about corruption and scams in Telangana.

KTR stated that even today, when Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy's alleged mining irregularities were questioned, the Chief Minister responded with threats against the opposition. He said that intimidation has become habitual for Revanth Reddy, but asserted that BRS will never succumb to such threats.

Expressing serious concern over the Musi project, KTR alleged that massive corruption is being carried out in its name. He criticised the Chief Minister for claiming that there are no funds to implement election promises, while simultaneously announcing expenditure of nearly Rs. 1.5 lakh crore under the Musi project. He alleged that the Congress government has discarded the comprehensive Rs. 16,000 crore plan prepared by the previous BRS government and is now inflating estimates to facilitate corruption.

KTR recalled that the previous government had nearly completed sewage treatment infrastructure for the Musi River and had also planned to bring water through the Kaleshwaram project. Despite this, he alleged that the current government is deliberately escalating costs to enable large-scale financial irregularities.

He further accused the government of planning to demolish lakhs of houses and acquire nearly 3,000 acres of land under the guise of the Musi project, only to hand it over to corporate entities. KTR termed it hypocritical that the government labels houses along the Musi as illegal, while simultaneously planning luxury hotels and business centres in the same areas.

KTR noted that even national-level leaders and members of the Gandhi family have expressed concerns over the Musi project. He alleged that the government is now invoking religious sentiments to mislead the public and criticised the Chief Minister's remarks such as 'Shiva Tandavam' when questioned on corruption, calling it a reflection of arrogance.

He warned that unless the government restrains its authoritarian approach and implements the Musi project without harming the public, Revanth Reddy will be remembered in history as the Chief Minister who displaced lakhs of families.

KTR remarked that the state today resembles 'a stone in the hands of a madman,' criticising the Congress government for failing to implement its election promises under the 'Abhaya Hastham' guarantees. He highlighted unfulfilled commitments to students, including education assurance cards, 2 lakh jobs, Mega DSC, special DSC for Urdu medium, and filling backlog posts.

He pointed out that despite promising to implement six guarantees within 100 days, not a single promise has been fully realised even after two and a half years. 'The Chief Minister says there is no money when it comes to welfare, but claims massive funds for the Musi project. This is nothing but deception,' he said.

KTR alleged that decisions regarding the Musi project are being taken arbitrarily without even preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR). He criticised the selective demolition of houses under the pretext of buffer zones, accusing the government of targeting the poor while sparing influential sections.

Calling upon the youth to protect Hyderabad, KTR urged them to oppose any attempts to destroy livelihoods in the name of Musi rejuvenation. He clarified that BRS is not against cleaning the Musi River, provided it is done scientifically without demolitions or forced land acquisition.

He emphasised that thousands of families are currently living in fear, stating that a house is an emotional asset for every family. He criticised the Congress government for failing to deliver any meaningful welfare programme in the past two years.

KTR also condemned the government's alleged neglect of the statue of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, terming it unacceptable. As part of future action, he announced that BRS will organise a round table conference with intellectuals and environmental experts in the first week of April. He further stated that awareness campaigns will be conducted in every college and locality until April 14.

He demanded that the Ambedkar statue be opened to the public immediately, warning that otherwise, on April 14 (Ambedkar Jayanti), thousands of people will gather and forcibly open the premises to celebrate the occasion.

KTR reaffirmed that BRS will continue its fight for the poor and marginalised sections, drawing inspiration from KCR's movement. He assured full support to the protests led by the BRS student wing. (ANI)