HYDERABAD: The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) attacked Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for deciding to demolish the Secretariat complex and construct a new one in its place, calling it a ‘Tughlaq act’. Several Congress leaders, led by Congress Legislative Party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, inspected buildings in the Secretariat on Monday.
On Saturday, TPCC office bearers, at a meeting in Nagarjuna Sagar, has decided to pay a visit to the Secretariat complex and inspect all blocks in it. Speaking to media persons after the inspection, Bhatti Vikramarka said the demolition of buildings that were perfectly serviceable was ‘reminding him of Tughlaq’. He was referring to the 14th century Delhi Sultanate ruler Muhammad bin Tughlaq who is remembered for his infamous decision to shift his kingdom’s capital from Delhi to Deogiri (present-day Devagiri). He moved the capital back to Delhi a few years later.
“All buildings in the Secretariat are in great condition and there is no need to demolish them. It isn’t good that every new chief minister wants to construct new buildings in the State. When the State government is spending public money on such constructions, it should take into account the views of MLAs and MLCs,” said Vikramarka.
Congress leaders who had accompanied the CLP leader on his inspection, including MLAs D Sridhar Babu and T Jayaprakash Reddy, MP A Revanth Reddy, MLC T Jeevan Reddy and former MP Ponnam Prabhakar, echoed Vikramarka’s views.
Manthani MLA D Sridhar Babu demanded that the chief minister inspect existing buildings in the Secretariat first, and only then decide on going ahead with the demolition. Malkajgiri MP A Revanth Reddy claimed Chief Minister Rao’s superstitions are to blame for his decisions. “The Congress party will stop the demolition,” he said.
What the fuss is about
The TRS government has decided to construct new Assembly and Secretariat complexes. The old Secretariat will be demolished to make way for the new complex, while the new Assembly will be built at Errum Manzil near Punjagutta. Opposition parties have been critical of this decision