Jagga Reddy hits back at KTR over criticism of VLF Radar installation in Damagundam reserve forest

TPCC's T. Jagga Reddy criticizes BRS's KTR for opposing Indian Navy's radar station in Vikarabad forest.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) working president T. Jagga Reddy has strongly criticised Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) for his remarks on the Indian Navy’s Very Low Frequency (VLF) radar station in the Damagundam reserve forest, Vikarabad.

Defending the Congress government’s decision, Mr. Reddy stated that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, along with Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, had laid the foundation stone for the radar station, which holds strategic importance.

Speaking at a press conference held at Gandhi Bhavan in Hyderabad on Tuesday (October 22, 2024), he emphasised that it was the BRS government that had originally approved the establishment of the radar station.

“Damagundam was chosen for the radar station because of its high altitude, which is ideal for transmitting signals within a 1,000-km radius. KTR is speaking without any practical knowledge,” Mr. Reddy said, questioning KTR’s understanding of the issue.

Addressing the environmental concerns raised by the BRS leader, Mr. Reddy pointed out that the BRS government, during its tenure, had sanctioned the land despite knowing that nine lakh trees would be affected. He accused KTR of conveniently overlooking the fact that the government order (GO) mandates compensatory afforestation.

“If KTR was genuinely concerned about the trees, why didn’t he object when his government approved the land allocation? The GO clearly states that for every tree cut, a replacement must be planted,” Mr. Reddy said, adding that KTR’s recent remarks were an attempt to malign Congress. The TPCC leader’s comments took a personal tone when he labelled KTR as a fool and likened his social media activity to that of the ‘Dandupalayam gang’ - a notorious criminal reference.

Mr. Reddy warned KTR not to target Chief Minister Revanth Reddy with indecent remarks or else they would respond in a similar tone. “Unlike us who have come from the ground level, you have come into politics because your father was a leader. We have made our way up come from the ground fighting against all odds unlike you who is imported into the party and the governance. Our ability to hit back in indecent tone is much higher than you,“ Mr. Reddy warned the BRS MLA.