Kerala CM Vijayan slams Telangana over Velugumatla eviction in Khammam
Kerala CM Vijayan slams Telangana over Velugumatla eviction in Khammam
Kerala's Pinarayi Vijayan criticizes Telangana's demolition drive in Velugumatla, demands Kerala Congress leadership respond, and ties the move to Vinoba Bhave's Bhoodan legacy.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday slammed the Telangana government for the reported eviction of as many as 3,000 families from Velugumatla village in Khammam district on February 25. He demanded a reply from Congress leadership in Kerala, saying the move has besmirched the legacy of Vinoba Bhave, the leader of the Bhoodan Movement who sought to reduce landlessness and social inequality.
Vijayan described the operation as carried out by “evictors” with a large police presence and bulldozers that descended on Vinobha Nagar in the early hours, leaving thousands homeless in a matter of hours. He stressed that the demolition undermines civil and property rights and linked the action to broader debates over land reform and social equity, invoking the Bhoodan Movement’s original aims.
The Kerala chief minister also accused mainstream newspapers in Kerala of obfuscating the civil-rights breach in return for advertisements from the Telangana government. He recalled his earlier comments about Karnataka’s Fakir Colony and Waseem Layout being bulldozed, calling it “bulldozer raj” that unfairly targets minorities in BJP-ruled north Indian states. In a Facebook post from December 2025, Vijayan had described those demolitions as a shocking replay of the bulldozer raj targeting minorities.
Officials said a survey was underway to identify eligible homeless poor in Velugumatla, highlighting that many residents had long depended on land made available through land-reform-inspired campaigns. The message from Vijayan has intensified a broader debate about housing rights and the legacy of the Bhoodan Movement.
Karnataka’s deputy chief minister, D.K. Shivakumar, criticized Vijayan’s remarks, accusing him of unnecessary interference and saying the comments showed a lack of understanding of the facts. The dispute underscores ongoing political tensions over eviction policies and minority protection across states.
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