The students’ wing of the Congress is up in arms against the party’s government in Telangana over a 400 acre plot of land in Kancha Gachibowli village in Hyderabad’s IT corridor.

It has given a fillip to the Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) amidst the deafening silence of the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha who has passionately defended forests and forest dwellers in BJP ruled states.

The University of Hyderabad Students’ Union started an indefinite protest beginning Tuesday.

The Congress government’s move in Hyderabad has happened just days after Rahul wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting intervention in offshore mining in Kerala, Gujarat and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

“… the ongoing survey of the Marine Monitoring Lab (MML) of the University of Kerala’s department of aquatic biology and fisheries found that offshore mining could have a devastating impact on fish breeding, especially in Kollam,” Rahul wrote in his two-page letter.

“Over 11 lakh people rely on fishing in Kerala. This is their traditional occupational and is closely tied to their way of life. Great Nicobar is globally recognised for harbouring diverse ecosystems and is home to several endemic species of wildlife. Any damage due to offshore mining could potentially do irreparable damage.”

In his letter Rahul asked the Prime Minister to conduct rigorous scientific studies to assess the environmental and socio-economic impact of offshore mining.

At the root of the dispute are the claims and counter-claims over whether the 400 acre plot in the university is forest land or not.

The Revanth Reddy government says no, the students say yes.

Last Wednesday in the state Assembly, chief minister Reddy had announced that the Telangana government had reclaimed the 400 acre land in Kancha Gachibowli and handed it over to the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation.

“There are no deer, no tigers, but only cunning jackals who want to hinder the state’s development,” Reddy had told the Telangana lawmakers.

The NSUI of Hyderabad Central University – where the late Rohith Vemula was a student – dismissed the CM’s comment as “baseless and unscientific”.

“This land supports 734 plant species, 220 bird species and numerous small mammals and reptiles, including the legally protected Indian star tortoise. To reduce this complexity to a flippant remark about deer and tigers wilfully ignores the devastating ripple effects of deforestation in this area,” the NSUI-HCU wrote on its X handle on Saturday.

The Revanth Reddy government plans to clear the land near the campus and set up an IT park, a decision strongly contested by the students.

On Sunday, trouble broke out between the students and the state administration when they rushed to the green patch at the sight of “bulldozers,” which were allegedly sent to clear the area for auctioning.

The state’s action with bulldozers and earthmovers went on from that afternoon till late in the night, when thousands of trees were allegedly felled.

The cops had detained 53 students who were later released.

The contentious plot was allotted on lease for 21 years by the undivided Andhra Pradesh government to a private company in 2004 for sports infrastructure development. Two years later, the late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy-led Congress government reclaimed the land. Following a protracted legal battle the Supreme Court in May 2024 ruled in favour of the Telangana government.

On Monday, the Telangana state government issued a statement claimed a survey by the revenue authorities in July 2024 had revealed that not an inch of the land belonged to the university.

“The government led by Reddy is giving priority to local sustainable development and environmental needs in every plan it is implementing. Those opposing the current project have vested interests and are misleading students,” the statement read.

The statement also attempted to assuage the concerns raised by students, environmentalists and biologists.

“The Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation has not encroached on the lands of the University of Hyderabad and has not damaged the existing lakes and rock formations. The current project is in line with the government’ priorities of world-class IT infrastructure, increased connectivity and availability of adequate urban spaces,” the statement said.

University registrar Devesh Nigam has denied that any survey was conducted in July 2024 by the revenue department, according to an NDTV report. Nigam reportedly said that only a preliminary inspection of the land’s topography had been held.

The BRS, the former ruling party of Telangana, has thrown its weight behind the students and questioned Rahul Gandhi’s prolonged silence.

“This is brazen green murder by destroying 400 acres of precious lung space in Western Hyderabad. You can hear the peacocks crying for help as the bulldozers and JCBs of the Congress government rummage,” wrote K.T. Rama Rao, BRS working president and former deputy chief minister, wrote on his X handle on Monday.

“If you don’t speak up now, it’s on you Rahul Gandhi.”

Rahul, who had rushed to Hyderabad after the death of the Dalit student leader Rohith Vemula, is yet to respond to Rao.

“Rahul Gandhi came to HCU not once but twice within a month during the KCR government where he was given all security and protection. He had protested and agitated with the students seeking justice for Rohith Vemula. Now that Congress government is at the helm of the state, they refuse to allow us anywhere near Hyderabad Central University. Why this hypocrisy?,” Rao asked on Tuesday. “He spoke out against the destruction of Aarey forests in Mumbai and Hasdeo forests in Chhattisgarh… Yet today, when his own party’s government is brutalizing students and wrecking the environment, he remains silent. Why? Can’t you hear the cries of the wildlife being crushed under bulldozers? Don’t the visuals of students being dragged and beaten reach you? Where is your commitment to democracy and the environment now?”

Actor Prakash Raj also voiced his concern over the goings-on around the HCU.

“This destruction is not acceptable. I stand with the students and citizens against such atrocious act. Request everyone to share and amplify this protest for our future,” Raj wrote on his X handle.

Saying this violation has to stop Raj, asked Rahul Gandhi, “Will you look into this act of your party which is governing Telangana?”

YouTuber Dhruv Rathee called the action in Kancha Gachibowli “unacceptable.”

“Rahul Gandhi should take action and stop this destruction in Telangana,” Rathee wrote.