BJP takes ‘U-Turn’ after initial support for HYDRAA

BJP leaders in Telangana, who were initially speaking in different voices on the demolition drive undertaken by the Hyderabad Disaster Response & Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), are now opposing the demolishing drive after seeing a large number of people opposing the government’s move.

After HYDRAA started its demolition drive two months ago, a few BJP leaders, including Medak MP N Raghunandan Rao and Chevella MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy had welcomed the drive and said that the BJP would support the Congress government in this issue. “I am fully supporting the demolition of buildings in tank areas. Regardless of who had constructed the buildings in lake areas, they should be brought down,” Raghunandan Rao said. Vishweshwar Reddy also openly supported the actions of HYDRAA.

However, after seeing the outburst of the affected people and general public against HYDRAA, the BJP leaders have taken a U-turn and now are claiming that they would stand by the people and come out with a plan to oppose the State



government’s demolition drive. The party accused the Congress of using HYDRAA to divert the attention of the people from Six Guarantees and other core issues.

Union Coal Minister and BJP State unit chief G Kishan Reddy wrote to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy criticising the action of HYDRAA, stating that its moves were “disproportionately” impacting the “poor and middle class” as they were being done without a plan or consulting the affected people.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay, while questioning the action of HYDRAA, also announced that BJP cadre would form a bulwark against the demolitions. “Let the government run bulldozers over our cadre before it touches the houses of the poor. Our party is totally opposed to these demolitions,” he said.

Nizamabad MP Dharmapuri Arvind asked the State government to have a proper plan with clear guidelines before demolishing encroachments on nalas and tanks. Mahabubnagar MP DK Aruna also accused HYDRAA of selective demolition.