HYDERABAD: With the uproar over environmental and wildlife conservation regarding the 400 acres of land at Kancha Gachibowli having reached the national capital, the Congress high command stepped in by tasking AICC Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan to find out the ground reality.
Upon her arrival in Hyderabad, Natarajan reportedly met Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and a three-member ministerial committee at the Secretariat to discuss the situation. During her interaction with the media, she reiterated the commitment of Congress to environmental conservation and the protection of public rights, stating that both the party and its leaders, especially Rahul Gandhi, are dedicated to these causes.
“I have spent much of my political career advocating for environmental issues and student rights,” Natarajan recalled. “As you know, Congress and Rahul ji are firmly committed to the environment and rights. I have come to engage in dialogue with the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the UoH and other concerned stakeholders regarding the 400 acres at Kancha Gachibowli to find a solution.”
Later in the day, Natarajan interacted with the NSUI wing of the UoH and took stock of the situation during a lengthy meeting, which was attended by TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud and AICC secretaries Ch Vamshi Chand Reddy and PC Vishnunadh.
In a written representation submitted to Natarajan, NSUI-UoH said, “The political window to go forward with the auction has now closed. We demand that the 400 acres in question be reforested and conserved, as there is no possibility for an auction.” The representation also demanded that proposals to shift the UoH to the proposed Fourth City be dropped. Additionally, it called for the withdrawal of cases, the release of arrested students and the reduction of the police presence on campus.