HYDERABAD: Asserting that the Congress would continue to keep its fight on getting podu land for tribals, PCC chief A. Revanth Reddy claimed that Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s announcement of 11.5 lakh acres land distribution came in the wake of the party’s solidarity with the STs’ struggle.
Addressing a street-corner meeting attended by a massive crowd at Jagadamba centre in Yellandu after visiting Jawahar Khani open cast mines during his ‘Haath se Haath Jodo’ yatra, Reddy said that the support being extended by Congress was worrying Rao as the tribals could vote for Congress candidates.
“Those lands which were distributed by the Congress earlier were snatched in the name of Haritha Haram and by dubbing them forest land. The tribals were subjected to torture and physical assault. When the Congress comes to power we will ensure that tribals will get their due,” he said.
He alleged that those attending the yatra were being threatened by BRS leaders, who were not able to digest the response he had been getting.
“MLAs will be driven away from this forest when the tribals rise. KCR should know that they are not asking for shares from his earnings but the lands that their forefathers had ploughed,” he said.
The TPCC president alleged that local MLA Haripriya Banoth had created hurdles for projects like Seeta Rama lift irrigation project as she did not get her cut of 30 per cent.
The chargesheet released against the local MLA alleged that sand, brick and coal being smuggled and sold at high prices by her men. The MLA’s husband is not only involved in extortion from coal workers but also collects Rs 40,000 for each borewell drilled in the constituency, the Congress leader alleged.
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