He questioned the Congress government’s desperation to sell public land, using brutal force
Published Date – 31 March 2025, 09:13 PM
Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao has condemned the Congress government’s brutal crackdown on students of University of Hyderabad (UoH) who were resisting the takeover of 400 acres of land. He questioned the Congress government’s desperation to sell public land using brutal force and also Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s silence on the issue.
Speaking to the media after meeting with a delegation of UoH students led by its president Umesh Ambedkar at Telangana Bhavan on Monday, Rama Rao criticised the government’s use of police force and heavy machinery to clear land at university campus. He expressed solidarity with their struggle and charged the government with prioritising real estate interests over environmental protection and welfare of the students.
He questioned why the Congress government was rushing to commercialise UoH’s land without conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). He pointed out that Western Hyderabad, including Gachibowli and the Financial District, was already facing severe environmental degradation, and that the university’s land served as one of the last remaining green spaces in the region.
The former Minister admitted that the successive State governments including the BRS, allowed huge constructions in western Hyderabad due to unavailability of space and without the university land, the region could become unlivable soon. “Why this urgency to destroy west Hyderabad’s last green lung? Are we heading towards a scenario where clean air becomes a luxury, just like in Delhi?” he questioned, urging the government to reconsider its stance.
He also reminded that the land in question was originally allotted in 2003 for sports facilities, but successive governments including the then Congress and the BRS, fought in court to reclaim it from private developers. “After winning the legal battle, why is the Congress government now selling it to private players for Rs 30,000 crore?” he asked.
Rama Rao trained his guns at Rahul Gandhi, contrasting his past environmental advocacy with his current silence. “Rahul Gandhi opposed the felling of trees in Mumbai’s Aarey Colony and protested against mining in Hasdeo forest of Chhattisgarh, but he is silent when his own party’s government is destroying Hyderabad’s greenery,” he remarked.
He questioned why Rahul Gandhi, who had previously visited the Central University in solidarity with student protests, was now hesitating to speak out. “Why the double standards? If this destruction was happening under another government, would he have reacted differently?” he asked.
The BRS working president condemned the police excesses on the university students, stating that officers entered the university without the Vice-Chancellor’s permission and used force against protesting students. “Students were dragged, female students were manhandled, and two students – Rohith and Yerram Naveen Kumar – were detained. Where are they now? The government must immediately disclose their whereabouts,” he said, demanding that the Director General of Police (DGP) ensure their safety and release them immediately.
He called out HCU alumni in the government, including Ministers Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and D Sridhar Babu, urging them to speak out in defense of their alma mater.
Rama Rao announced that the BRS would escalate the issue in Parliament, the Rajya Sabha, and legal forums. “We abstained from actively getting involved in the protests as Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy will paint a genuine student protest in political colours and use force to crush it. But we will expose this land grab on the right platforms and fight for justice at every level,” he assured the students.
He also demanded the BJP, the Left and other political parties to spell out their stance on the issue. “Does the BJP support this land sale? Do the Communists? Every party must clarify its position,” he demanded.