TPCC president and Nalgonda MP N Uttam Kumar Reddy today alleged that land grabbing had become a hallmark of the rule of the TRS government, and that Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao had crushed the dreams of those who had fought for Telangana by turning the state into a "den of corruption, land grabbing and other illegal activities".
Speaking to the media after attending the Huzurnagar Municipal Council meeting, Reddy said that the leaders of the TRS were involved in land grabbing cases all across the state.
"The leaders of the ruling party have been misusing their powers to illegally acquire properties across Telangana, and have been implicated in such cases all over the state - from Hyderabad to Huzurnagar. The situation has deteriorated so much that even the TRS' own councillors in Huzurnagar have complained about their lands being snatched by the leaders of the party. The councillors have also spoken out against the TRS high command for its corruption in the execution of several municipal works. This cannot go on - I will personally speak to the Suryapet Collector to ensure that those indulging in corruption in the area are punished." he said.
The Congress leader also claimed that several high profile cases of land grabbing, involving top TRS leaders, had been sullying the party's reign ever since to came to power in 2014.
"The reign of the TRS is characterised by rampant corruption, land grabbing, and an overall lack of transparency," he said.
"The case of corruption registered against Keesara MRO Nagaraju, who was caught red-handed by the officials of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) while accepting a bribe of Rs 1.10 crore, was not investigated thoroughly as the investigation would also expose several corrupt TRS leaders. What is even more puzzling is that the two main accused, including the MRO,
died by suicide. This is just one among the many instances of the TRS' shady dealings," Reddy said.
"While a TRS corporator and her husband faced allegations of grabbing land belonging to the Osmania University, other party leaders attempted to usurp lands belonging to the Hyderabad Central University as well. Further, some leaders also grabbed prime lands in Rangareddy district's Balapur area," he added.
The TPCC chief also said that a viral video recording of TRS leader Ch Malla Reddy, in which the latter was allegedly seen admitting that many of the land grabbers in the state were TRS leaders, was further proof of the party's corrupt ways.
He then alleged that
the floods that had devastated Hyderabad last year were caused, in part, by the illegal encroachment of the Musi riverbed.
"The TRS regime not only enabled party leaders to grab the lands of innocent citizens, it also allowed many leaders to construct illegal structures on the bed of the Musi, which resulted in the worst floods that the state capital had ever witnessed. The regime's failure to check the encroachment of lakes and other water bodies also contributed to the inundation of the city," the MP said.
He added that the fact that an ACP was arrested by the ACB for possessing illegal assets worth Rs 70 crore showed that it was not only the TRS' leaders who enjoyed the protection of the state government, but also other high-level officials.
"Those in high positions in the state have no fear of being exposed as they are well-guarded by the state government and the CM. However, despite the government's best efforts to brush such incidents under the rug, the rising number of land grabbing and corruption cases are an indication that the CM has lost his grip over the state," the TPCC head said.
Talking about the recent
Bowenpally kidnapping case, in which former Andhra Pradesh minister Bhuma Akhila Priya was
named as the main accused, Reddy claimed that the case was far more complicated than the police were letting on.
He hinted that the ruling party was, in some way, linked to the case as well.
Earlier, while addressing the Huzurnagar Municipal Council meeting, N Uttam Kumar Reddy spoke about various issues including the widening of the Huzurnagar main road.