BJP Leaders Detained as Protests Erupt Over Telangana Government’s Plan to Auction Land Near University of Hyderabad
Tensions flared in Hyderabad on Tuesday as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders were detained by police while attempting to visit the University of Hyderabad, where students have been protesting against the Telangana government’s decision to auction 400 acres of land located next to the campus.
The BJP leaders, including Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and Members of Legislative Council (MLCs), were stopped at the MLA Quarters in Hyderguda. The police cited the lack of permission for their visit to the university and detained them as they tried to proceed towards the campus.
BJP leaders, including Payal Shankar, expressed their determination to continue protesting until the government abandoned its plan to auction the land. Shankar also accused the Congress government of continuing the policies set by the previous BRS (Bharat Rashtra Samithi) administration.
In another move to prevent protests, BJP floor leader in the Telangana Assembly, A. Maheshwar Reddy, was placed under house arrest. Police personnel were deployed outside his residence in Banjara Hills to prevent him from joining the protest at the university.
The BJP leaders argued that the government’s decision to auction the land in the Kacnha Gachibowli area would lead to environmental degradation, claiming that the land falls under the jurisdiction of the forest department.
Student and environmental activist groups have expressed their opposition to the government’s move to clear the land for the development of infrastructure and IT parks. BRSV, the student wing of the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), staged a protest at KBR Park, carrying placards calling for the preservation of the environment.
The controversy has sparked heated debates, with the opposition accusing the police of using excessive force against protesting students. They claimed that students were dragged by their hair and beaten by the police, while others alleged the authorities brought bulldozers and earthmovers to begin clearing the land.
The protests intensified on Sunday when over 50 students were detained, and two individuals, B. Rohit Kumar and Erram Naveen Kumar, were arrested and remanded to judicial custody. Police stated that the protesters attempted to halt the development work and attacked officials and workers with sticks and stones. As a result, a police officer suffered minor injuries.
In response to the growing tensions, the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TGIIC) lodged a complaint with the Gachibowli police, which filed a case under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Meanwhile, police officials have appealed to students not to believe rumors circulating on social media. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Madhapur, Dr. Vineet, assured the public that the development work on the land in Kancha Gachibowli village was being carried out in accordance with the government order. He denied allegations of police brutality and assured that no lathi charge was carried out during the protests.
The protestors, including environmental groups like ‘Save City Forests,’ argue that auctioning the land will destroy a vital green space in Hyderabad, often referred to as the city’s “green lungs.” The area, they claim, has evolved into a biodiverse ecosystem since 1974 and is home to more than 734 species of flowering plants, 10 species of mammals, 15 species of reptiles, and 220 species of birds.
On the other hand, the Telangana government has defended its decision, stating that the land is not connected to the University of Hyderabad and that the plan aims to boost investment in the state.
As tensions continue to rise, the protest over the auctioning of the land remains a significant flashpoint in the ongoing debate over development and environmental preservation in Hyderabad.
