Hyderabad, October 8: In a move that has sparked outrage across Hyderabad, the Congress government led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy stands accused of indulging in blatant appeasement politics ahead of the upcoming Jubilee Hills by-election, scheduled for 11 November 2025. Just 48 hours before the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into effect, the government issued an order allocating Waqf land for a Muslim graveyard — a move the opposition has branded as “electoral bribery to an entire community.”
The controversy, which has since snowballed into a full-blown political storm, has once again highlighted Congress’s old formula of dividing Hindu votes along caste lines and uniting Muslims under one political bloc through targeted sops and symbolic announcements.
Waqf Land Allotment Sparks Backlash
On 6 October 2025, the Telangana government issued a Government Order (GO) allocating 2,500 square yards of Waqf land in Shaikpet, within the Jubilee Hills constituency, for a Muslim graveyard. The decision was announced at a high-profile event attended by Congress leaders, including AICC leader Meenakshi Natarajan, Hyderabad In-charge Minister Ponnam Prabhakar and SC, ST Welfare Minister Minister Adluri Laxman.
However, the plan collapsed within hours after Army officials objected, stating that the plot belonged to the Defence Department. Instead of resolving the ownership dispute, the Revanth Reddy government hastily shifted the graveyard site to Erra Gadda, an already congested residential locality, a move that triggered protests from residents and widespread criticism from the opposition.
Within 2 hours of Congress Govt releasing GO of 2500 sq yards to Graveyard for Muslims in Jubilee Hills, Military Authorities come to take possession claiming their ownership of Land…
First Azharuddin deceived,
now Graveyard is also a Lie…Hope Muslims realise how Revanth… https://t.co/SNIgTDOvD7 pic.twitter.com/jHItoMP5b1
— Dr.Krishank (@Krishank_BRS) October 5, 2025
Local Residents Protest, BJP Steps In
Residents of Citadel Brigade, Kalpataru, Brindavanam, and Janapriya Apartments in Erra Gadda took to the streets, demanding that the government withdraw the order immediately. They condemned the decision to install a graveyard between apartment blocks and warned of large-scale protests if the GO was not revoked.
Medak MP Raghunandan Rao and BJP Central District President Lankala Deepak Reddy visited the protest site, extending full support to the residents. Addressing the gathering, Rao revealed that the land in question was already under a court stay order, questioning how the government could authorise construction without verifying its legal status.
Held a protest along with apartment residents in the surrounding areas of Erragadda to stop the congress government’s dirty politics in the name of graveyards to satisfy a section of people for Jubilee Hills by-elections. pic.twitter.com/7Ur9cJZCNE
— Raghunandan Rao Madhavaneni (@RaghunandanraoM) October 7, 2025
Raghunandan Rao accused the Congress of allocating land to please a specific community ahead of the bypoll, alleging that Revanth Reddy’s administration was “using state machinery to convert community appeasement into votes.”
The land, previously earmarked for a public road, was suddenly reclassified for religious use by Congress government on the state, with GHMC workers demolishing gates and walls around apartment complexes to clear access.
Sources and local media reports suggest Azharuddin, former Cricketer and Congress leader, played a behind-the-scenes role in pushing for the Waqf land allotment in Shaikpet and later in Erra Gadda, presenting it as a ‘long-pending demand’ of the Muslim community.
The Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency in Hyderabad, is gearing up for a by-election scheduled for November 11, 2025, following the death of the sitting Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA, Maganti Gopinath, in early 2025. This urban seat, part of the Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency, has around 3.92 lakh electors and is a prestige battleground for the ruling Congress, opposition BRS, and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
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