Uttam Threatens Statewide Protest Over Demolition Of Worship Places In Secretariat

·Uttam slams Owaisi Bros, Kishan Reddy for their silence over demolitions

·TPCC Chief ask party cadre to gear up for GHMC polls, revamp party structure

·Uttam asks SEC to take up delimitation of GHMC wards

Hyderabad, August 16 (Maxim News): Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) & Nalgonda MP Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Sunday announced that the Congress party would wage a legal battle against the illegal demolition of two mosques and a temple in the Secretariat by the TRS Government. He also announced that the Congress party would organise protests across Telangana State to condemn the demolition.

He was speaking to media persons after chairing a meeting at Indira Bhavan, in Gandhi Bhavan premises, with senior leaders to discuss the demolition of places of worship in the Secretariat and preparations for next elections for Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). The meeting was attended by CLP leader Bhatti Vikaramarka, Working President & MP Revanth Reddy, ex-LoP in Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir, TPCC Vice President Zafar Jaweed, TPCC Minorities Dept Chairman Shaik Abdullah Sohail, Nampally Incharge Feroz Khan and other leaders.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said that 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 of lying with the people on the issue. Two days after the demolition (on July 10), the Chief Minister issued a statement claiming that some damage was caused to the places of worship when some debris of other structures in the Secretariat fell on them during demolition. However, a few days later, the State Government filed an affidavit in the High Court announcing that all the places of worship have been razed to the ground. He said that the State Government was not empowered to demolish religious structures as they are protected under various laws.

The TPCC Chief announced that the Congress party would file a criminal complaint against those involved and responsible for the demolition. He said all other legal steps would be taken to pursue the case at a higher level. Further, he said statewide agitation would be organised against the demolitions.

Uttam Kumar Reddy also condemned MIM leaders Asaduddin Owaisi and Akbaruddin Owaisi for their silence on the issue. “Owaisi brothers often speak about Babri Masjid which is thousands of kilometers away. But they are supporting CM KCR on the demolition of two mosques in Hyderabad. Their stand has exposed their true colours. Owaisi brothers used to claim that they have control over the car’s steering. They should now explain as to how the same car has crashed into two mosques and a temple razing them to the ground,” he said. He also slammed Union Minister of Home G. Kishan Reddy for his silence on the issue. “Kishan Reddy is not talking about the illegal demolition of temple by TRS Govt although it falls in his own Parliamentary constituency,” he said adding that the incident has exposed that TRS, MIM and BJP were allies. He reiterated that the demolition of old Secretariat buildings and construction of a new structure was sheer waste of public money.

Speaking on the GHMC elections, the TPCC Chief asked the party cadre to start working on the electoral rolls by helping the people on enrolment of names, corrections, etc., He also demanded that the State Election Commission undertake delimitation of wards so as to have almost same number of voters in all the divisions.

Uttam Kumar Reddy asked the party MPs, MLAs and all contested candidates to take up revamping the party structure in Greater Hyderabad, Warangal and Khammam which would face municipal elections soon. He also asked all the Frontal Organisations, Departments and Cells of TPCC to constitute committees in all the 24 Assembly constituencies in the GHMC limits. He asked the party cadre to enlighten the people about the development brought by the previous Congress regimes in Hyderabad. He said the entire infrastructure including Outer Ring Road, Inner Ring Roads, Metro Rail, PVNR Expressway, new International Airport, dozens of flyovers, modern roads on the stretch of hundreds of kilometers, drinking water facilities, etc., were brought by the previous Congress regime. The contribution of TRS in development of Hyderabad is nil and in fact, it ruined the existing infrastructure.

He said Hyderabad had turned into an IT and Pharma hub during Congress rule. But present TRS Govt could not add a single new project worth mentioning during the last six-and-a-half years. He said that the TRS Govt collected lakhs of applications for Double Bed Room houses from poor people before the last GHMC elections. He said not even 1% of applicants were given 2BHK units. Similarly, IT Minister K. Tarakarama Rao is now talking about establishing Basti Dawakhanas. He asked as to why Basti Dawakhanas were not established in the last five years although both State and GHMC were under the control of TRS. (Maxim News)