Rama Krishna Sangem
BJP’s Telangana leaders have decided to own up the cause of people affected by the state government’s proposed Musi river revival project, mostly in and around Greater Hyderabad. The Musi revival project has been taken up by the Revanth Reddy led Congress government for the past few months. Both the opposition parties – BRS and BJP – have jumped to champion the cause of the affected people, estimated to be around 40,000 in the city.
However, BJP at the top level has decided to own up the cause, edging out BRS for two reasons: One, the issue would help the saffron party to project itself as the defender of interests of the poor; Two, by mobilzing the affected people, the party wants to win the upcoming Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections, slated to be held next year. Of the total 150 divisions in the GHMC, BJP won 48 in 2021. BJP feels this Musi issue will help them project pro-poor in the city.
BJP’ s Maha Dharna at Indira Park, in Hyderabad on October 25, Friday, on the issue was led by Union Coal Minister and BJP Telangana president G Kishan Reddy. The protest demonstration was participated by Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay, Malkajgii MP Etela Rajender and dozens of all senior leaders. The party mobilized a large number of people from the possible displaced households.
Several senior BJP leaders including BJP legislature party leader A Maheshwar Reddy, general secretary Prakash Reddy, Kasam Venkateswarlu, Sudhakar Gande, Premender Reddy, Papa Rao, former MLC N Ramchander Rao, former MLA NVSS Prabhakar, Sudhakar Sharma were among those who participated in the dharna.
“Revanth Sarkar not sincere”
Addressing the gathering, Kishan Reddy said that the Congress government led by Revanth Reddy is not sincere in taking up the Musi river revival project. “We are not against to revival of Musi river which flows through Hyderabad city for a stretch of around 56 km. The problem is that the government is trying to push out the poor people living on the banks of the river for decades together without showing alternative shelter,” said Kishan Reddy.
Bandi Sanjay too lashed out at the Revanth government for rushing through with the project without providing alternative houses or rehabilitation to the affected families. Etela Rajender blammed the government for trying to turn this into a real estate friendly project at the cost of the livelihood of the poor. Several other leaders who spoke too vowed to resist the efforts of the government to overnight evict the poor out of their homes.