Hyderabad: Congress MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy on Saturday appealed to the people of Telangana to recognise the dual stance taken by the BJP and its state president, N Ramchander Rao, on riverfront development.The Sabarmati riverfront project was implemented in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, during the BJP govt’s tenure. At that time, thousands of houses and structures were demolished, affecting around 15,000 families and approximately 60,000 people. Last year, many structures were also demolished in Gandhinagar in the name of riverfront development, leaving residents homeless, he said.“If such measures are justified in the name of development in BJP-governed states, why are they opposing the demolition of illegal structures and the development of a riverfront in Telangana? The Congress govt is providing adequate compensation to the project-affected people,” Kiran said.He claimed that the Telangana govt is legally removing illegal structures in the Musi river bed and buffer zone, while moving forward with goals of environmental protection, urban development, and ensuring adequate compensation and housing for affected families. “The Congress govt is taking transparent rehabilitation measures, unlike what was done in Gujarat. Telangana is committed to ensuring justice for the affected,” he added.Kiran said he would travel to Ahmedabad within a day or two, along with Alair MLA Beerla Ilaiah and other Congress leaders, to highlight to the people of Telangana the number of structures demolished by the BJP govt in the name of riverfront development, whether compensation was provided, and to expose the BJP’s dual stance.
