Secretariat mosques: Congress seeks clarity on date for re-construction

Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) minorities department chairman Shaik Abdullah Sohail on Saturday demanded that TRS government make an official announcement on when the foundation stones of re-construction of two mosques and a temple in the Secretariat premises, which were illegally demolished in July last year, would be laid.

Abdullah Sohail, in a media statement, said that neither chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao nor his ministers made any official announcement of a date for laying the foundation stone for reconstruction of demolished places of worship.

There was no mention of reconstruction of two mosques and a temple in the press release sent by the CMO after KCR visited the Secretariat to review ongoing construction activity. The next day, three ministers – Mahmood Ali, Koppula Eshwar and Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Wakf Board chairman Mohd Saleem and other TRS leaders held a meeting with a few religious leaders to discuss the issue. 

“None of the ministers announced that the foundation stone will be laid on February 26. This date was announced by a few religious leaders who attended the meeting. Interestingly, the Home Minister, while speaking to media persons after inauguration of Nampally Police Station building, announced that mosques will be inaugurated before the new Secretariat. He also did not specify the date either for laying the foundation for reconstruction of demolished mosques,” he said.

The Congress leader alleged that CM KCR again tricked the Muslim leaders on the issue only to suppress the agitation. He added that the new deadline of February 26 was only aimed at buying some more time.