Congress running ‘Bulldozer regime’ in Telangana, says KTR

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Hyderabad, March 1 (IANS) Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao on Sunday alleged that a “bulldozer regime” is being run in Telangana under the Congress government.

He said that from the very day Revanth Reddy assumed office as Chief Minister, the state has been witnessing large-scale demolition of houses and harassment of citizens.

KTR accused the Chief Minister of focusing only on demolishing homes, selling lands and promoting what he termed as a “real estate broker-style governance,” instead of working for people’s welfare.

The BRS leader alleged that thousands of houses are being targeted in the name of the Musi project to facilitate a massive scam.

Participating in the ‘Musi Dandi March’ organised by affected families, KTR undertook a 3.5-kilometre padayatra in Rajendranagar, meeting and consoling victims from Haider Shah Kote and Madhu Park Ridge Apartment who are facing displacement. Thousands of residents joined the march and expressed their grievances to him.

Addressing a meeting later, KTR assured the affected families that the BRS party would stand firmly with them.

He urged residents to protect their homes and lands for the next two years and expressed confidence that once the BRS returns to power under K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s leadership, the party would ensure that no one loses their house in the name of the Musi project.

KTR alleged that despite repeated appeals and pleas from apartment residents and families — including requests showing concern for children — the Congress government and Chief Minister Revanth Reddy are proceeding ruthlessly with evictions and threats.

He further criticised the Chief Minister for allegedly prioritising the construction of a new official residence worth Rs 200 crore despite already having access to existing facilities, while ordinary and middle-class families are being pushed out of their homes.

The BRS leader claimed that since coming to power, the Congress government has made house demolitions its primary activity across the state, citing actions in Hyderabad under HYDRA as well as in Ramagundam, Mahabubnagar and Khammam.

KTR alleged that the Musi project is being used as a pretext for a large-scale financial irregularity aimed at benefiting contractors close to the ruling dispensation.

He stated that during the previous BRS government, a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Musi rejuvenation was prepared at a cost of about Rs 16,000 crore without displacing a single household, and included plans for roads and flyovers with minimal public disruption.

Questioning the Congress government’s stand on buffer zones, KTR pointed out that the same apartments now facing action had earlier received official permissions. He asked why action is not being taken against those who granted approvals earlier.

KTR also criticised Congress leadership at the national level, stating that while Rahul Gandhi speaks against bulldozer politics elsewhere, the alleged demolitions in Telangana are being ignored.

–IANS

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Karnataka is a haven for robbers, says BJP on Rs 7.11-crore daylight heist

Bengaluru, Nov 20 (IANS) Attacking the Congress-led state government over the Rs 7.11 crore daylight heist, the Karnataka BJP unit, on Thursday, charged that the state has become a safe haven for those who commit robberies.

Speaking at a press conference in his office at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, the Leader of the Opposition and senior BJP leader R. Ashoka said, “Another face of “Brand Bengaluru” is emerging — Bengaluru is becoming the city of robberies. I criticised that a robbery involving Rs 7.11 crore in just seven minutes has taken place in Bengaluru on Wednesday (November 19).”

Hitting out at the Congress-led state government in Karnataka, BJP leader Ashoka said: “This is a new scheme of the Karnataka government; it is like their five guarantees. The government has now shown people how to get Rs 7 crore in seven minutes. People are living in fear, and there is such a situation that they are afraid to even go near banks.”

Asking the Karnataka government whether such a huge robbery is possible in broad daylight, the Opposition leader said: “Bengaluru has more than one lakh CCTV cameras, and more than one lakh police personnel. The Commissioner’s office and residence, the DGP’s office and residence are all right here. The Chief Minister’s residence, the Special Officer’s residence, and the Bengaluru In-charge Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s house are also here. On one side, Congress leaders are involved in daylight robberies and indulged in corruption and here actual daylight robberies are happening on the roads by dacoits. It all seems like a strange coincidence.”

He also remarked, “This happened right at the tunnel road point near (Deputy Chief Minister) D.K. Shivakumar’s residence. This too seems like a coincidence. Karnataka has become a paradise for robbers.”

“After Bidar and Mangaluru, now thieves have come to Bengaluru. As though to show their skill, they have displayed it in the capital city. People have realised that the state government is as good as dead,” BJP leader Ashoka said.

“If the state government and police instilled any fear, if there was fear of being shot or punished for committing robbery, they (thieves) would not have dared to do this. Ministers and the Chief Minister are all focused on Delhi because of the power tussle regarding the Cabinet reshuffle in Karnataka. Law and order has completely deteriorated; it is dead,” he added.

He demanded the Karnataka government, saying: “They (state government) must arrest the culprits within 24 hours. They have said they already have clues. It has now been 26 hours since the robbery took place. If all clues are available, why haven’t they 9state government) arrested anyone yet?”

He said: “The law and order has completely died in Karnataka. Robbers and thieves have no fear of the police. This has created anxiety among people about how safe Bengaluru’s banks are. If miscreants can commit robbery in broad daylight and escape, it shows the dire state of the situation.”

“The police department has failed in many cases, such as the stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebrations and the Dharmasthala incident. Because Congress leaders are fighting for power and have gone to Delhi, there is no control over the police department. Due to the commission system in every department, public works are not being carried out anywhere,” BJP leader Ashoka alleged.

“Congress leaders have become promise-breakers. Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar has indirectly said that CM Siddamaiah is Chief Minister under mercy. He has said he will resign from the party’s state president post. CM Siddaramaiah has boldly said he will not give up the CM’s post. In another month, the clear picture of this farce will be known,” he said.

“Development activities are not taking place in schools. There is a lack of basic facilities, no classrooms, and teachers have not been appointed. Instead of taking schools towards development in such a situation, the maximum passing marks have been lowered. This way, more students are shown as passed. This will not benefit the students. The education sector will not progress with this measure. I will request the Assembly Speaker to discuss this in the session,” BJP leader Ashoka added.

–IANS

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K’taka BJP MLA says Siddaramaiah govt biased on Panchamasali Lingayat protest issue

Belagavi (Karnataka), Dec 16 (IANS) Anguished over the Siddaramaiah government’s refusal to allow the Panchamasali Lingayat community to stage a protest over reservation quota in Belagavi, BJP MLA and senior leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal on Monday said the current dispensation has turned out to be “complete pro-Muslim”.

Speaking to reporters here on the Belagavi Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Roshan’s categorical no to the protest, Yatnal stated, “We will ask the Deputy Commissioner for his opinion on not permitting the Panchamasali protest. We will ask whether there is democracy in Belagavi or whether the Deputy Commissioner wants to carry out Hitler’s rule. The Congress government has an allergy towards agitations by the Hindus.”

He further charged, “The government thinks of those Muslims as innocents who do arson and set fire to things. The party adores them. Our Home Minister G. Parameshwara questions the protest by farmers who feed him, but he loves Muslim law-breakers. They are withdrawing all cases related to K.G. Halli and D.J. Halli, Hubballi riot and violence incidents.”

“The Home Minister also stated that all cases against Muslims and the Popular Front of India (PFI) would be taken back. Today, the Adijambava community pressing for internal reservations is also troubled. They have not been given permission to protest,” Yatnal stated.

“The Dalits and backwards are also not allowed to protest. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s love for Muslims is evident at the outset. He orders lathi-charges on other communities… The conspiracy by CM Siddaramaiah won’t be successful in the long run…CM Siddaramaiah will realize in the next elections how his attitude of appeasing Muslims will backfire. The people will teach him a befitting lesson. This has become a complete Muslim government. The Congress government is enacting a drama and blackmailing. The Congress leaders are involved in an FIR against protesters in connection with the Panchamasali Lingayat reservation agitation. The FIR is vague and they have not mentioned names. It won’t stand in the court and when the BJP comes to power, the FIR would be withdrawn,” he declared.

The Panchamasali Lingayat community had organized a protest near the office of the Deputy Commissioner on Monday condemning the lathi charge on protesters near the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha last Tuesday. Kudalasangama Panchamasali peeth seer Basava Jayamrutynjaya Swami had given a call for the protest.

Reacting over the denial of permission, the seer stated that it is the habit of the government to prevent the protests and it is his duty to stage a protest. “The Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should apologize and police officers who carried out the lathi charge should be suspended,” the seer demanded.

Meanwhile, the BJP members in the Legislative Council came to the well of the House and staged a protest condemning the lathi charge on Panchamasali Lingayats. They demanded an apology from the government.

The BJP members took back the protest after the floor leader, Minister for Minor Irrigation, Science and Technology N. Boseraju assured that Home Minister G. Parameshwara would reply on the issue.

Panchamasali Lingayats are demanding reservation under the 2A Category under which 15 per cent of reservation is given for various backward communities. Presently, they are accommodated in the 3B Category where low-income families can avail the reservation along with all sects of Lingayats and other communities including Christians.

–IANS

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No one objected SIR till 2004, says HM Amit Shah in LS

New Delhi, Dec 10 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday mounted a strong defence of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists, tracing its history back to the early years of India’s democracy and accusing the Congress of misleading the public about the exercise.

“Till 2004, no one objected to SIR. It is a process by which we can improve elections and make our democracy healthy. If the voter list is corrupt, how can we expect to conduct free and fair elections?” Shah asked.

He added that the Constitution clearly defines the powers of the Election Commission, the process of preparing voter lists, and provisions for changes or improvements.

“When these provisions were made, our party did not even exist,” he pointed out.

Shah argued that duplicate entries are a common error and must be corrected.

“Should a voter be able to vote in more than one place? This is a process to cleanse the election process,” he said.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha during the ongoing debate on electoral reforms, HM Shah said the first SIR was conducted in 1952 under Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, followed by revisions in 1957 and 1961.

The process continued under Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1965 and 1966, and later under Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1983-84, 1987 and 1989. It was also carried out during the tenure of Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao in 1992–93 and 1995, and under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2002-03. After 2004, Shah said, the latest revision took place in 2025 under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He alleged that the Opposition was worried because SIR would remove the names of illegal immigrants who, he claimed, formed part of their support base.

“Should illegal immigrants participate in elections in India?” he asked.

The debate, which began Tuesday, has been marked by sharp exchanges between the Treasury and Opposition benches.

Rahul Gandhi, visibly angered by HM Shah’s remarks, challenged him to debate the Congress’s press conferences. HM Shah retorted that Gandhi’s November 5 statement was exaggerated, pointing to examples such as Bihar voter Minta Devi, who admitted she had mistakenly filled out her online form.

“When you win, the Election Commission is great; when you lose, it is incompetent. Such double standards will not work,” HM Shah said.

Escalating his attack, Shah alleged that “some families are hereditary vote thieves,” naming Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi.

When Gandhi attempted to interrupt, HM Shah shot back, “Don’t interrupt.”

The exchanges underscored the deepening divide between the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA Bloc over electoral reforms, with SIR emerging as the latest flashpoint in the battle over credibility and transparency in India’s democratic process.

–IANS

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