Lagacharla farmers take fight to Delhi over alleged police excesses

Hyderabad: Tribal women and farmers from Lagacharla in Telangana met with the National Human Rights Commission, SC/ST Commission, and Women’s Commission to register their grievances in New Delhi on Monday.

They detailed the midnight raids and arrests pleading for justice.

Lagacharla had shot to fame as few days ago after locals had attacked Vikarabad district collector Prateek Jain and other senior officials in protest against the government's proposal to acquire land to set up private pharmaceutical companies in a 'Pharma Village'.

Lagacharla comes under Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy's assembly segment Kodangal. Since then police had registered a case and detained several villagers and also former BRS MLA Patnam Narender Reddy. Meanwhile, tribal women from lagacharla had alleged midnight raids and harassment by police.

The tribal women on Monday in New Delhi shared their harrowing experiences, with one elderly farmer saying, "For nine months, we have been protesting peacefully. Instead of hearing us, they send police to harass us. They arrest our men, assault our women, and force us to leave our lands. How can we survive without our lands?"

BRS MLC Satyavati Rathod expressed solidarity with the farrmers. "The Congress government has crossed all limits of tyranny. The Chief Minister's brother threatens farmers with death if they refuse to surrender their lands. Women and children are not spared from this brutality," she said.

She emphasized that the BRS party will provide unwavering support to the victims. "We will not rest until justice is delivered. The entire nation must know about the atrocities happening in Telangana under Congress rule," she added.

Speaking alongside the victims at a press conference in Delhi's Constitution Club, BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) condemned the Telangana government under Congress Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. He accused the Congress-led administration of oppressing marginalized tribal communities and highlighted the hypocrisy of Rahul Gandhi and the Congress leadership.

“Rahul Gandhi often talks about protecting the welfare of farmers, tribals, and women. Yet, his own party's Chief Minister, Revanth Reddy, presides over atrocities in Telangana. Are the cries of tribal women and farmers in Kodangal inaudible to Rahul Gandhi?” KTR asked.

He called out Congress’s duplicity, emphasizing how the same party that claims to oppose crony capitalism is now grabbing tribal lands to facilitate private projects. “Rahul Gandhi criticizes Crony Capitalism but is silent on Revanth Reddy's pharma land-grabbing. This is Congress's double standard," he added.

KTR questioned the silence of national leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the Telangana atrocities. “Is Telangana invisible to national leaders? Does the plight of tribals in Lagacharla not deserve the same attention as incidents in Manipur or Dharavi?” he asked.

He urged both the BJP and Congress to break their silence and address these pressing issues. “Rahul Gandhi claims to be a friend of the marginalized, but his actions show otherwise. Revanth Reddy's tyranny must end, and Rahul Gandhi must hold his Chief Minister accountable,” he demanded.