K. Kavitha Detained During Fast Over Khammam Evictions, Vows to Continue Protest

Hyderabad, March 2026 Police in Khammam on Tuesday detained K. Kavitha, who had launched an indefinite hunger strike demanding justice for families allegedly displaced from a land parcel in the town. Kavitha, the president of Telangana Jagruti, had begun the fast late Monday night in protest against the eviction of several poor families in the Velugumatla area.

Police later shifted her to Hyderabad, where she continued her hunger strike at the Telangana Jagruti office. Declaring that her protest would continue, Kavitha said she would not end the fast until justice is delivered to the displaced families.

Kavitha alleged that authorities had forcibly evicted several poor residents from land in Velugumatla without issuing prior notice. According to her, the land in question was part of the Bhoodan Movement, meaning it had been donated in the past for the benefit of the landless and was not government property.

She questioned the legality of the eviction and criticised local authorities for their actions. Addressing reporters, the former Member of Parliament said she would write to Rahul Gandhi to bring the issue to his attention. She also indicated that legal options were being considered and that the matter could be taken to the Telangana High Court if required.

Kavitha demanded that the district administration provide a written assurance that the displaced families would receive ownership rights, or ‘pattas’, for the same land from which they were evicted.

The protest began on Monday when Kavitha arrived in Khammam and staged a sit-in demonstration with local leaders at the ZP Center. She later visited the affected families in Velugumatla and interacted with them to understand their situation. Kavitha said the hardships faced by the families, many of whom had lost their homes, were deeply distressing.

She also demanded that the government construct new houses for the displaced families at the same location where their homes were demolished. According to her, the demolitions were carried out during a particularly sensitive period when students in the affected households were preparing for Intermediate Examination and Class 10 Board Examination.

During the protest, police detained Kavitha along with Visharadhan Maharaj, chairman of the BC SC ST JAC, and several activists of Telangana Jagruti. They were taken to the Khammam Three Town Police Station before being released later.

Following their release, Kavitha and her supporters resumed the agitation at Ambedkar Bhavan and launched an indefinite hunger strike demanding rehabilitation for the displaced families.

“My indefinite hunger strike will persist until the displaced families of Velugumatla are allotted plots and fully built houses at the same locations from which they were evicted,” Kavitha wrote in a post on X.