Opposition parties laud Hyderabad HC decision, call it a victory of farmers

Hyderabad: Opposition parties in Telangana hailed the Hyderabad High Court’s decision to scrap the GO No 123 and 124 pertaining to land acquisition which had kicked up strong protests from farmers losing land under the Mallannasagar project in Medak district.

The Congress, the Telugu Desam, the BJP, Telangana Joint Action Committee and other parties said that the High Court’s decision was a slap on the face of the TRS government.

Congress leaders and workers who led a movement against forcible acquisition of land by the government for the Mallannasagar project celebrated the HC decision at Gandhi Bhavan.

TPCC president Uttam Kumar Reddy welcomed the High Court decision. “It’s a victory of farmers and farm labour. Democ-racy always wins. At least now Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao should act in a democratic manner,” he remarked.

The BJP welcomed the decision. “It is a check on the Telangana state government’s high-handed behaviour against farmers and the forcible acquisition of farm lands,” said BJP official spokesperson Ravula Sridhar Reddy.

BJP national spokesman Krishnasaagar Rao demanded that the CM tender an apology to farmers for having forced GO 123 on them which the HC has finally scrapped. “We consider this as victory of the BJP and people of the state,” he said.

Former Congress MP Ponnam Prabhakar said that the HC decision was a slap on the face of the TRS government. “KCR should tender an apology to farmers,” he said.

Telangana Telugu Desam working president A. Revanth Reddy called it a victory of farmers, farm labour, artisans and others who would be displaced under the project. “It’s a big slap on the TRS government. We demanded implementation of land acquisition Act 2013, but the government terrorised farmers to accept GO 123,” he alleged.