Senior IPS officer and Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) commissioner A V Ranganath has ruled out the possibility of him entering politics after retirement, on the lines of former CBI joint director V V Lakshminarayana.
Ever since he has been tasked with identifying and demolishing encroachments on lakes, water bodies, government lands, and public spaces within Hyderabad, Ranganath has become a public figure and has got into enough controversies.
He has been receiving both bouquets as well as brickbats for his action.
While some sections of people are applauding him for undertaking demolitions to protect lakes and public spaces, those who were adversely affected, have been projecting him as a villain.
For the last few days, there has been a systematic campaign against Ranganath on social media stating that he was keen on entering politics. The immediate reason for these rumours was his participation in a Kapu association meeting.
Ranganath, however, has categorically denied such claims.
He clarified that he still has five years of service remaining and dismissed the notion that performing well in administrative roles should be linked to political ambitions.
On the perceptions about his caste affiliations, Ranganath stated that while caste realities exist in Indian society, administrative decisions must remain impartial. He emphasized that justice should prevail regardless of caste considerations.
The commissioner also acknowledged his acquaintance with members of the film fraternity, including actors Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan, but clarified that such interactions were purely incidental and not politically motivated.
On social issues, Ranganath said his intention in speaking about cases such as the Warangal Preeti case and the Miryalaguda Amrutha-Pranay case is to raise public awareness, not to create controversy.
He described himself as someone willing to take risks for societal change, while rejecting the label of a “controversial officer.”
Defending HYDRAA’s actions, Ranganath asserted that its work would benefit future generations and that long-term public interest outweighs short-term individual losses.
He issued a warning against land encroachments, particularly on lakes and parks, and reiterated that the agency would not target the poor but would act firmly against organized land grabbers.