HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday vowed to revive the glory of the Nizams in order to transform the State into ‘Bangaru Telangana.’ Brushing aside criticism that he’s taking the State back to the Nizam era, he said, “Nizam was a great king though he might have committed some mistakes.”
The Chief Minister’s admiration for the Nizam’s rule and his recent sops to the minorities have already raised the hackles of some sections, particularly right-wing organisations, and VHP’s Praveen Togadia has even warned the State government against turning the State into ‘Nizam’s kingdom.’
However, an unperturbed Rao, speaking at the inauguration of the 75th All India Industrial Exhibition here, questioned, “What is wrong in praising the Nizam when you Seemandhra people can still name a project after a Brit, Sir Arthur Cotton?” He alleged that he had to face criticism from Seemandhra leaders whenever he praised the Nizams.
Lavishing praise on the last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, he said people of Telangana would always be proud of him. “It was the last Nizam, who constructed irrigation projects and railway stations at Nampally, Secunderabad and Kachiguda. The Osmania University, Osmania General Hospital and several other hospitals, including the mental hospital, were constructed during the Nizam’s regime,” he said and questioned, “Have they built any new government hospital or railway station in the city after he left?” In the same breath, he announced plans for the development of the city. “Every year, one million are being added to the city population. But we have the same old infrastructure,” he pointed out and promised to make Hyderabad a signal-free city by constructing multi-layered bridges and elevated corridors. “I will personally appear on TV soon and speak to the people,” he said and added he was also planning two new railway stations on the city outskirts.