TPCC threatens to wage legal battle against TS for razing mosques, temple in Secretariat
By Newsmeter Network Published on 16 Aug 2020 2:59 PM GMT
Hyderabad: The president of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee, N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, on 16 August, announced that the Congress will wage a legal battle against the illegal demolition of two mosques and a temple in the Secretariat by the state government. He also announced that the Congress will organise protests across Telangana to condemn the demolition.
The TPCC chief also announced that the Congress will file a criminal complaint against those responsible for the demolition. Mr. Reddy said, “Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao has hurt the religious sentiments by ordering the demolition of two mosques and a temple in the Secretariat. Later, he committed another sin by lying to the people.”
He claimed that two days after the demolition of the mosques on 10 July, the Chief Minister issued a statement claiming that the mosques were slightly damaged when some debris fell on them during the demolition. However, a few days later, the state filed an affidavit in the High Court announcing that all places of worship in the Secretariat were razed to the ground. He said the state was not empowered to demolish religious structures as they are protected under various laws.
Mr. Reddy also condemned MIM leaders Asaduddin Owaisi and Akbaruddin Owaisi for their silence on the issue. “The Owaisi brothers often speak about Babri Masjid which is thousands of kilometers away. But they are supporting KCR on the demolition of two mosques in Hyderabad. Their stand has exposed their true colours,” he alleged.
The Congress leader also slammed the minister of state for Home affairs, G. Kishan Reddy. “Kishan Reddy is silent about the illegal demolition of the temple by the TRS government although it falls in his own Parliamentary constituency,” he said, adding the demolition of the old Secretariat buildings and the construction of a new one was a waste of public money.
On the GHMC elections, the TPCC chief asked the State Election Commission to undertake delimitation of wards so as to ensure the same number of voters in all the divisions. He also said Hyderabad had turned into an IT and pharma hub during the Congress rule but under the TRS rule it could not add a single new project worth mentioning.
