BRS calls for Telangana revenue minister's resignation over land delisting row

The Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi (BRS) escalated its attack on the Telangana government Wednesday, demanding the immediate resignation of the state's Revenue Minister over alleged irregularities in the handling of Section 22A prohibited lands. BRS leader Harish Rao accused Congress officials of leveraging their positions to extract financial benefits from landowners seeking to delist their properties from agricultural protection restrictions. According to Rao, Congress leaders have been demanding 30 percent of the land's market value alongside development rights as a precondition for removing the Section 22A designation. Section 22A of the Land Acquisition Act restricts the use of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes, and delisting typically requires government approval. The allegations suggest that state officials may have been conditioning regulatory approvals on personal financial gain, a charge that strikes at the heart of governance integrity in the state. The BRS, which previously governed Telangana, has seized on the controversy as evidence of corruption within the incumbent Congress administration. The state government has not immediately responded to the resignation demand or the specific allegations leveled by the opposition party.