Telangana tahsildar taunts farmer on pesticide, video sparks row

Gajwel tahsildar P H Swamy is facing widespread criticism after a video surfaced showing him allegedly asking farmer Yesu from Maktha Masanpally village, ‘Haven't you consumed pesticide yet? Are you still alive?’ The exchange occurred when Yesu approached the officer over compensation for land being acquired for the Regional Ring Road (RRR) project. The video has drawn condemnation from social media users and opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao, who called the remarks ‘shameful and absolutely unacceptable’.

Swamy told Times of India that the video is old and that Yesu had repeatedly visited his office demanding compensation, threatening to consume pesticide if the money was not released. He said the land could not be acquired due to a family dispute over partition, and that after the dispute was resolved, compensation was credited to the family accounts. Telangana Today reports that Yesu later released a fresh video claiming the issue is settled and he has received compensation, though local leaders allegedly forced him to make that statement. No inquiry has been ordered into the matter as of Saturday, 10 October.