In a strong show of solidarity, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao has thrown his party's weight behind the protesting students of Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU). The students are opposing the Telangana state government's recent move to reclaim 50 acres of land from the university campus.
Allegations of a 'Serial Land Snatcher' Government
Meeting the student delegation at his residence on Friday, KTR launched a scathing attack on the ruling Congress government. He accused the administration of behaving like a "serial land snatcher" with a pattern of targeting educational institutions. KTR alleged that the Congress was acting more like a real estate broker than a responsible government, eyeing valuable land owned by central universities in Hyderabad for its own needs.
He reminded reporters that this was not an isolated incident. The government had previously made an unsuccessful attempt to take back 400 acres from the University of Hyderabad (UoH) and land from the Agriculture University. Now, its focus has shifted to the 50 acres belonging to MANUU.
Threat to Academic Growth and a National Pride
KTR emphasized the severe consequences of such land acquisition. He stated that the Congress government's action would critically hamper the future expansion and academic growth of the institution. He highlighted MANUU's unique status as the country's only exclusive Urdu university, calling it a pride of Hyderabad.
"MANUU is being deliberately weakened for real estate interests," KTR alleged. He claimed it had become a habit for the government to grab university land, suggesting the current administration wants to use the prime land for its own real estate projects.
Questions on Inaction and Future Promises
The BRS leader also pointed a finger at the central government's inaction. He noted that despite the Supreme Court halting the UoH land case and making observations on an alleged Rs 10,000-crore land scam, neither the Centre nor the state had probed the issue thoroughly.
KTR argued that had the Centre acted firmly in the UoH case, the state government would not have dared to target another central university like MANUU. Assuring the students, he promised to raise the issue in Parliament. Looking ahead, he declared that a future BRS government would allocate dedicated funds for MANUU's expansion and infrastructure development.
