Hyderabad: The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Thursday hit back at Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s allegations that former CM K. Chandrashekhar Rao’s (KCR’s) family owns large tracts of land beyond the permissible limit in Telangana, in turn seeking an independent probe by a sitting judge into KCR’s and Revanth Reddy’s landholdings.
The BRS leadership made scathing remarks at a press conference, with party working president K.T. Rama Rao stating that details of all landholdings were declared in the election affidavit filed by his father, KCR, during the 2014, 2018, and 2023 assembly polls.
On Thursday, the Congress CM fired a fresh salvo at KCR and his family, alleging they “belong to Bihar” and came to Hyderabad in an attempt to “loot” the wealth left behind from the Nizam era. He also accused “a single family” of attempting to take control of resources that, he argued, should benefit poor people, Dalits, adivasis and minorities. “For 225 years, the Nizam ruled the Hyderabad State before surrendering to the Government of India. Today, KCR and his family are looking to usurp the wealth left behind from the Nizam era,” Revanth said.
Revanth was possibly referring to KCR’s 2022 trip to Patna, when he met then Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and deputy Tejashwi Yadav, in what was seen as a visit to discuss the possibility of a third front before the 2024 election. During the visit, KCR had praised migrant workers from Bihar for helping build Telangana and highlighted the assistance they received during pandemic lockdowns.
Refuting allegations that KCR’s farmhouse in Erravelli (Gajwel, Siddipet district) is situated on a 1,000-acre plot, K.T. Rama Rao said, “On the floor of the house, the CM has spoken untruth by making a lot of frivolous comments about our family’s landholdings. He has levelled some wild accusations, and we are keen that every single allegation is probed, so that all facts find their way to the public.”
The Telangana Land Reforms (Ceiling on Agricultural Holdings) Act, 1973 restricts agricultural land ownership to between 10 and 54 acres per family unit, depending heavily on the land’s irrigation source and crop capacity.
KTR and the BRS also demanded a public apology from Revanth Reddy for misleading the public by stating unverified figures in the assembly. “On the one hand, he says we own 1,000 acres of land; on the other hand, he quotes another set of figures on the floor of the House. We demand that a white paper be published on the government lands available in each district,” KTR said.
Responding to a discussion on Section 22A of the Act regarding prohibited lands, the chief minister Wednesday cited government figures in the assembly that put the alleged combined holdings of KCR and his extended family at around 440 acres across nine districts, 24 mandals and 31 villages.
The chief minister pegged the land value of KCR’s family members at Rs 1 lakh crore, alleging that they used the Dharani land portal to identify and later buy government lands.
According to Revanth Reddy, KCR’s son KTR and daughter K. Kavitha, along with their families, own 123.19 acres and 37.26 acres in Siddipet and Rangareddy districts, respectively. The Congress leader also alleged that KCR’s nephews T. Harish Rao and Joginapally Santosh Kumar own 30.16 acres and 79.20 acres, respectively.
Reddy directed revenue officials to issue notices to BRS supremo KCR, ordering them to ascertain the extent of government land within his farmhouse. Seeking a report within 30 days, the CM also ordered a fact-finding committee to visit the site and identify those who encroached upon and illegally acquired government land.
Now estranged from the family, K. Kavitha, the founder of Telangana Rashtra Sena (TRS), has sought a probe into BRS leaders’ landholdings, stating that the public deserves “to know the truth”.
BRS deputy floor leader T. Harish Rao countered the chief minister’s allegations, stating that Revanth Reddy was “diverting the public’s attention from crucial issues” such as fee reimbursement to colleges and Rythu Bharosa for farmers. His statement came outside the assembly, since 22 BRS MLAs were suspended just days after the Telangana assembly Monsoon Session commenced on 7 September.
The session has witnessed disruptions, culminating in the suspension of 22 BRS MLAs for its remainder. KCR, Leader of the Opposition and BRS floor leader, continued to give this session a miss, with the Congress demanding his resignation for not attending.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)
Also Read: Hyderabad SIR deletions exceed 2023 winning margins in all 15 constituencies, finds Sabar Institute