BJP Offers ‘Kar Seva’ for Musi Project if Houses of Poor Are Not Demolished: Kishan
HYDERABAD: After deploying its top leaders to 18 major areas adjoining the Musi river for two days to meet people and instill confidence among them, amid fears that their houses will be demolished for the river beautification project, the state BJP organised ‘maha dharna’ at Dharna Chowk here on Friday and reiterated its support to the oustees.
State party chief and Union minister G. Kishan Reddy announced that they would take up `kar seva’ for the Musi beautification project if the state government does not demolish houses belonging to the poor. Addressing a number of Musi residents who joined the ‘maha dharna’, Reddy warned the government of serious repercussions if it went ahead with the demolitions.
Stating that the BJP activists would resist the government’s moves at every level, he charged that the Congress government had come up with the `1.5 lakh crore Musi project only to divert the attention of the people from its failed poll promises.
The earlier BRS government had also indulged in similar gimmicks of high-rise buildings around the Hussainsagar after filling it with pure water. But, former chief K. Chandrashekar Rao is now confined to his farm house, a fate that also awaits Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, the BJP leader said.
Stating that the city had witnessed incidents of some poor people getting heart attacks and losing their lives, Kishan Reddy asked the people not to worry and assured all the support from his party.
Union minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar said that the earlier Congress government gave permission to polluting industries in an indiscriminate manner. He said that the Gujarat government spent `7,000 crore for the Sabarmati development but protected lives and properties of the people, The Congress government wanted to spend `1.5 lakh crore on the Musi, making it the costliest project in the world and a major scam, he said.
Claiming that the state government was not in a position to raise even `10,000 crore by way of new loans, party MP Etala Rajendar asked the state government to disclose how it would raise `1.5 lakh crore for the Musi project. The BJP is also for cleaning of Musi river but not by rendering people homeless.
BJP Assembly floor leader A. Maheshwar Reddy asked Revanth Reddy to accompany them on a tour along the Musi. Even if a single local endorsed the project, the BJP would withdraw its agitation, he said.
Senior leaders Dr. Kasam Venkateshwarlu, Pradeep Kumar, Venkat Ramana Reddy, Pydi Rakesh Reddy, N.V.S.S. Prabhakar and Mekala Shilpa Reddy, among others took part in the dharna.