In early August 2023, the government of Telangana issued a directive to allocate 125 acres of government-owned land to the Muslim community for the establishment of graveyards. This allocation of land parcels comes ahead of the Telangana Assembly elections and is intended for the development of model cemeteries catering to different segments of the Muslim population.
"In a sea of conflict & unrest, Telangana continues to be an island of peace and harmony ensuring dignity & equal rights to all communities"
▶️Telangana govt allotted 125 acres of land for the construction of Model graveyards for various sects of Muslims. Hon’ble CM KCR garu has… pic.twitter.com/v8XjutH2mB
— Dr Ranjith Reddy – BRS (@DrRanjithReddy) August 8, 2023
The directive was issued in response to a request made by All India Majlis-E-Ittehad Ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi and the party’s floor leader, Akbaruddin Owaisi. Telangana’s Chief Minister, K Chandrashekhar Rao, had pledged to issue this order during a session of the state Assembly on July 6th.
The government had designated areas in Ranga Reddy and Medchal-Malkajgiri districts for the construction of graveyards, pending the finalisation of formal land allocation proposals.
Medchal District
Noothanakal – 35.27 acres in survey no.472
Shamirpet Mandal Turkapally – 16.31 Acres in Survey no. 523
Rangareddy District
Abdullapurmet Mandal Mazidpur – 20 Acres in survey no. 233
Talakondapalli Mandal Khanapur – 42.22 Acres in Survey No. 256/1
Kondurga – 10 Acres in Survey no. 237/1
According to the order, the land for these cemeteries had been allocated in specific villages and mandals, including Majeedpur village in Abdullapurmet mandal, Khanapur village in Talakondapally, and Kondurg village in Rangareddy district. Additionally, land was allocated in Medchal and Shamirpet villages in the Malkajigiri district. District collectors in both areas were instructed to take appropriate measures in accordance with this directive. The allocation comprised 72 acres and 22 guntas in the former district and 52 acres and 18 guntas in the latter district.
Stay On GO
According to Andhra Jyoti’s report, upon learning about the land allocation, concerned villagers sought legal recourse to address the matter.
#Telangana High court stayed #KCR GO allocating 125 acres of lands to muslims in Medchal & Rangareddy to build Kabaristhan. Some of these lands already have Temples built on them. @BRSparty boasts about #Yadadri while doing appeasement.#KCRFailedTelangana#SaaluDoraSelavuDora pic.twitter.com/4BiouwbrCY
— OFBJPUKTelangana (@OFBJPUK4TLGN) August 21, 2023
A significant portion of the designated land reportedly included properties belonging to temples. Additionally, long-standing farmers who had been cultivating these lands were disheartened by this development. For instance, in Noothanakal Village, the allocated land already houses temples dedicated to deities such as Venkateshwara Swamy, Lakshminarasimha Swamy, and Lord Shiva.
Telangana CM KCR announced in Telangana State assembly 125 Acres of Land will be given to Muslim graveyards.
Hindus approached High Court claiming those lands belongs to Sri Venkateshwara Temple, Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple & Shiva Temple,
High Court issued stay.#HinduUnity pic.twitter.com/GwavJdFsQF— Advocate Neelam Bhargava Ram (@nbramllb) August 20, 2023
On 18 August 2023, the Honourable High Court ordered a stay on the government order to allocate land for cemetery construction.
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.