Ponguleti vs KTR escalates political heat in Khammam

metro india news  I hyderabad

The political war of words between Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and BRS Working President K. T. Rama Rao has intensified over the demolition of houses in Velugumatla (Vinoba Bhave Colony) in Khammam, turning the local land dispute into a major state-level flashpoint.

Addressing the media at the Secretariat in Hyderabad, Ponguleti, along with Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar and Vivek Venkatswamy, accused the BRS of running a misinformation campaign after failing to digest consecutive electoral setbacks. They alleged that BRS leaders were spreading “venomous propaganda,” with tacit support from the BJP.

Ponguleti asserted that the demolition issue was being politically distorted. He stated that it was the previous BRS government that had demolished houses in Velugumatla on July 15, 2023, and later abandoned affected families without rehabilitation. The present Congress government, he maintained, acted in accordance with High Court directives to remove illegal constructions.

He assured that under Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s guidance, eligible poor families would be provided house sites and new homes. “The poor are the patent of the Indiramma government,” he declared, reiterating Congress’ commitment to housing welfare.

The Minister also launched a sharp attack on former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, alleging that BRS leaders who “lived in farmhouses” had no moral authority to speak for the poor. He provocatively suggested that KCR should use funds allegedly amassed through corruption in the Kaleshwaram project to build houses for the displaced.

Kaleshwaram allegations resurface

The demolition controversy quickly expanded into a broader attack on the BRS’s irrigation record. Ponguleti accused the previous government of abandoning the Pranahita-Chevella project for commissions and promoting the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project as an “eighth wonder,” despite structural issues and financial irregularities.

He alleged that despite promises of supplying 168 TMC of water annually, nearly 50 TMC had gone waste into the sea. The Minister questioned why the Centre had not acted decisively even after the Justice Ghosh Commission report and Assembly resolutions seeking a CBI probe, suggesting tacit BJP-BRS collusion.

Minister Ponnam Prabhakar further claimed that Congress had already paid nearly Rs 48,000 crore in liabilities left behind by the previous regime and urged the Centre to release pending funds.

KTR’s Counterattack

In a dramatic counter, KTR visited Velugumatla on Thursday and accused the Congress government of unleashing “midnight terror” on poor families. 

He questioned whether “Indiramma Rajyam” meant demolishing existing homes instead of providing shelter.

KTR argued that the 62 acres in question were originally donated under the Bhoodan movement inspired by Vinoba Bhave in the 1950s for the benefit of the poor. He claimed that in 2014, around 1,895 families were granted pattas of 100 square yards each, and many possessed tax receipts and electricity connection documents.

Condemning the demolition drive as inhumane, KTR alleged that police forces were deployed in large numbers without adequate notice, likening it to an invasion. He accused local Congress ministers of eyeing the land for real estate interests and questioned the sudden transfer of an RDO officer. KTR promised that the BRS would fight for the affected families up to the Supreme Court and cover legal expenses. He urged residents not to sign any documents under pressure and vowed that if BRS returns to power, houses would be rebuilt at the same site.

As the issue unfolds, what began as a local land dispute in Khammam has evolved into a high-voltage political duel. With Ponguleti defending administrative action and KTR framing it as an assault on the poor, Velugumatla has become the latest battleground in Telangana’s ongoing Congress-BRS rivalry.