Kerala CM criticises Telangana govt over demolition drive

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday alleged that the recent demolition drive in Telangana’s Khammam district reflects a “bulldozer raj” and accused the Congress government there of rendering hundreds of families homeless without prior notice.

In a statement, the Kerala Chief Minister claimed that after Congress-ruled Karnataka, the “bulldozer raj” has now surfaced in Telangana as well, describing it as a matter of serious concern.

In a recent development, the district administration in Khammam carried out a demolition drive on February 24–25 in Velugumatla village, razing houses built on Bhoodan land and displacing around 600–700 families . Officials maintained that the action was taken on government land following legal scrutiny. The drive, however, sparked protests from affected residents and drew criticism from political parties across the spectrum.The Supreme Court of India has ruled that demolitions must follow procedural and constitutional safeguards , including giving prior notice , allowing residents to be heard , ensuring rehabilitation or relief , and complying with any court orders or stays .

Referring to the incident, Vijayan alleged that nearly 3,000 people, many of whom possessed identification documents, were left homeless in the eviction drive carried out in the presence of police. The demolished houses, he said, were located in Vinoba Nagar and had been allotted to landless families as part of the Bhoodan movement led by Vinoba Bhave.

Terming the development “surprising,” Vijayan said the Congress government in Telangana appeared unwilling to accept even the limited objectives of the Bhoodan land reform movement that began in 1951.

The Chief Minister also referred to similar demolition actions in Yelahanka in Karnataka, alleging that affected families there continue to live on the streets. He questioned how the Congress could lead and implement what he described as “inhuman” measures.

Taking a swipe at the Congress leadership in Kerala, Vijayan said the party, which claims to uphold Left values in the state, should respond to the developments in Telangana. He also criticised the Telangana government over media advertisements issued in Kerala.

Drawing a comparison, Vijayan said Kerala had set a model of rehabilitation and reconstruction by providing new houses to families who lost everything in landslides, while alleging that the Telangana government was classifying even those with land titles as fake patta holders. According to him, Kerala was granting land titles to those without pattas and making them rightful landowners, whereas Telangana was carrying out evictions.

He further alleged that Congress governments were mirroring certain BJP-ruled northern states by adopting a policy of displacement. Pointing to the alleged incidents in Yelahanka and Khammam, he said they reflected the party’s approach towards ordinary people wherever it comes to power.Congress MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy called Kerala CM Vijayan’s remarks on the Khammam demolitions politically motivated, aimed at upcoming Kerala elections. He said Vijayan made statements without consulting the CPI MLA from Khammam and stressed that Congress stands for the welfare of the poor. Telangana’s Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy added that some residents were misled by false promises of pattas and assured housing under the ‘Indiramma’ scheme, with action planned against those who cheated people.