Bandi condemns police action on Gouravelli project oustees

Hyderabad: Telangana State BJP chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar demanded Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to immediately hold talks with the land oustees of the Gouravelli reservoir projects.

Addressing media here on Tuesday, he condemned alleging that police and the TRS leaders hand in glove, attacked the peacefully protesting Gouravelli project displaced.

The Karimnagar MP said that it is the government that should take initiative to hold talks and convince the agitating project oustees and resolve their concerns. However, the State government shrugged off its responsibility and deployed police to resort to indiscriminate lathi-charge, not sparing children, old-aged and women.

Hundreds of police were descending in the middle of the night and dragging people out of their homes, and beating causing fractures and head injuries.

He said that the Gouravelli project oustees have expressed their willingness to cooperate and give their lands to the project. "All that they are asking is to give them compensation as per the promises made by CM KCR, and what is legally due for them under the R&R package."

The TRS chief had made promises and praised people for cooperating with the development by giving their lands. But, when it is time to provide compensation, "Police were sent to beat them up." Neither state ministers nor the TRS MLAs showed any interest in addressing the issues raised by the project oustees. On top of it, rubbing salt to their wounds, the TRS leaders made a mockery of the woes of the project displaced, who lost everything, he alleged.

He said that all political parties in the State have condemned the police's highhandedness against the Gouravelli project displaced.

"The project affected people have gone to court and making pleas to the government to implement compensation. However, all their pleas have fallen on deaf ears. When the project displaced democratically protesting to highlight their plight, police highhandedness and TRS party leaders making their plight a mockery is all that they are met with," he added.

The BJP State chief called attacking the project oustees a shameful act and said that CM KCR, not willing to part even an inch of his land, is trying to grab the lands and assets of the poor for free without paying adequate compensation.

Sanjay Kumar said that CM KCR's government inflicting pain and highhandedness on the poor would come back hunting his party and the government. He said BJP would stand with the agitating project oustees and seek legal remedies as well as launch agitation in a democratic manner.