Hyderabad: Union Minister and Telangana BJP chief, G Kishan Reddy, has issued a warning to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. He criticized the government’s plan to plant saplings over the graves of the poor as part of the Musi Riverfront beautification project. On Wednesday, Kishan Reddy visited several areas in the Amberpet constituency, including Musarambagh, Ambedkar Nagar, Tulsi Nagar, and Krishna Nagar. He spoke with slum residents and listened to their concerns.
Kishan Reddy stated that the poor have built their homes brick by brick and have been living there for decades. These areas have basic amenities like roads and water supplies, which were funded by public money. He expressed disappointment that the current Congress government is planning to demolish these homes in the name of beautification. He strongly opposed this, saying, “No government has the right to demolish the houses of the poor. They should be providing homes, not destroying them.” He also warned the Chief Minister of serious consequences if the government sends bulldozers to demolish the homes of the poor.
Kishan Reddy accused the Congress government of terrorizing people by demolishing homes under the guise of removing illegal structures. He alleged that the government’s HYDRA scheme is destroying the lives of poor people. Reddy expressed deep sympathy for the residents of the Musi catchment areas, saying that their suffering is unacceptable.
He also expressed anger over the demolition drives, claiming that the Congress government is conspiring to demolish homes without offering alternative housing. He criticized both the previous BRS government and the current Congress government for their harsh treatment of slum dwellers and those living in Musi catchment areas. According to Reddy, former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had similarly marked houses for demolition through the Musi Development Corporation but failed to provide housing for the poor during ten years of BRS rule.
The Congress government is now planning to spend Rs 1.5 lakh crore on beautification efforts for the Musi River. Kishan Reddy challenged the government to first spend Rs 50,000 crore to build homes for the poor before proceeding with beautification, if they are truly sincere. Many residents, fearing the arrival of bulldozers, raised slogans against CM Revanth Reddy, accusing him of destroying their lives by demolishing their homes.
Later in the day, Kishan Reddy held a meeting with BJP leaders and members from the Secunderabad Parliamentary Constituency. The agenda was to discuss the party’s membership enrollment drive. He reviewed the progress made so far and suggested ways to increase participation in the constituency.
Additionally, Reddy released a short film titled “Tomorrow Will Not Take Care of Itself,” created by student PT Vedula. The film focuses on the importance of environmental conservation. Earlier in the day, he paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on Gandhi Jayanti at Mahatma Gandhi Chowk, MG Road, Secunderabad. He also participated in a street cleaning initiative at Secunderabad Paradise and Kalasiguda Park Line Road as part of the Swachh Bharat program.