KTR Demands Apology from Telangana CM Following NHRC's Findings on Lagacharla Violations
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Synopsis
K. T. Rama Rao, BRS working president, has urged Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to apologize to Lagacharla farmers after NHRC found significant human rights violations during protests against land acquisition for Pharma City.
Key Takeaways
- KTR demands an apology from CM Revanth Reddy.
- NHRC identifies human rights violations in Lagacharla.
- The report criticizes police actions against tribal farmers.
- Political vendetta against opposition members highlighted.
- NHRC instructs authorities to protect innocent villagers.
Hyderabad, April 21 (NationPress) The working president of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), K. T. Rama Rao, has called for an apology from Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to the farmers of Lagacharla after the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) identified breaches of human rights during the handling of protests against land acquisition for the proposed Pharma City.
Rama Rao expressed gratitude to the NHRC for its findings, which brought to light the severe human rights violations in Lagacharla. He stated, “The report has validated our claims - the Congress government and its police acted oppressively towards the tribal farmers and women of Lagacharla,” as he shared on X.
He expressed hope that the findings would serve as a reminder to those in power that they are not above the law.
“Governments may change, but abuse of power will not be accepted. This is a significant initial step for all tribal individuals who bravely opposed the Revanth government. I commend them and reaffirm BRS’ commitment to Telangana’s cause. I demand a sincere apology to the farmers of Lagacharla from Revanth Reddy, who serves as both the Chief Minister and the Home Minister of Telangana,” he added, as KTR is commonly known.
An NHRC investigation team discovered that police arrested and physically mistreated some Lagacharla residents at the Parigi police station for allegedly attacking the Vikarabad district collector and revenue officials during a public hearing regarding land acquisition for the proposed Pharma City in November 2024.
The Commission confirmed the claims of human rights violations against the villagers. The report indicated that police actions were politically motivated, specifically targeting opposition BRS and BJP members.
The NHRC dispatched a joint team of law and investigation officers to Lagacharla to investigate complaints from villagers regarding harassment, physical abuse, and false criminal charges filed against them following the attack on the collector.
The inquiry team observed that several individuals, who were neither present at the scene nor involved in any protests and whose lands were unaffected by the project, were also detained by police.
The NHRC has instructed the Chief Secretary of Telangana and the Director General of Police to refrain from taking any action against innocent villagers who did not assault government officials. They urged police and civic officers involved in the case to operate judiciously, ensuring that human rights are upheld. The Chief Secretary and DGP have been ordered to provide reports on the actions taken.
