HYDERABAD: Telangana HC Orders Demolition of Illegal BRS Party Office in Nalgonda
In a significant ruling on Wednesday, the Telangana High Court ordered the demolition of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party office in Nalgonda, which was constructed without the necessary approval from the Nalgonda Municipality.
The court granted the BRS 15 days to demolish the structure and imposed a penalty of ₹1 lakh to be paid to the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Nalgonda, within four weeks.
Justice T. Vinod Kumar expressed strong disapproval of the BRS's actions, criticizing the party for formulating rules while in power only to violate them. The judge emphasized that the law applies equally to all citizens and political entities. He reprimanded the BRS for building the office on a one-acre plot without proper approvals and then attempting to regularize it through the Building Regularisation Scheme (BRS).
The court also criticized the BRS’s counsel for seeking exemptions from the ₹1 lakh fine. Justice Kumar rejected these requests, noting that the BRS, as a prominent regional party, is financially capable of paying the penalty.
This case arose from a writ petition filed by the BRS, represented by Ramavath Ravinder Kumar, challenging a notice issued by the Municipal Commissioner of Nalgonda on July 20, 2024, which mandated the removal of the unauthorized office within 15 days.
The BRS party office is located on a one-acre site in Nalgonda village, occupying survey numbers 1498 and 1506. The land allocation has been controversial, as the BRS had issued Government Orders (G.O. No. 167 dated August 16, 2018, and G.O. No. 66 Revenue (Assn-1) Department dated June 21, 2019) for its use, allegedly in violation of existing regulations.