KCR Must Rebuild Secretariat Mosques: Congress

Congress leader and former minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir today strongly condemned the arrest of the activists of various Muslim organisations who had recently tried to visit the Secretariat to offer prayers at the two mosques, Masjid-e-Hashmi and Masjid-e-Dafatir Mohammedia, which were "illegally" demolished by TRS Government in July last year.

Shabbir Ali, in a media statement, said that the Joint Action Committee of various Muslim organisations had issued a call to hold a 'Chalo Secretariat' program to offer prayers at the place where two mosques had once existed in the Secretariat's premises.

"The TRS first demolished the mosques illegally on July 7-8, 2020 just to facilitate construction of a new Secretariat complex. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar also demolished a temple in the process," he claimed.

"CM KCR released a statement on July 10, 2020, admitting that his government has demolished the two mosques and the temple in the Secretariat area. He also expressed regret and assured that the three demolished buildings would be reconstructed soon. When the Muslim community was preparing to launch an agitation, MIM President Asaduddin Owaisi took a delegation of religious leaders to the Pragathi Bhavan where KCR made a fake assurance of reconstructing the mosques within a month. When no efforts were made in this regard, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board held a meeting on the matter in Hyderabad on August 16, 2020, and set a two-week deadline for the reconstruction of both the mosques at the same place. This deadline expired on August 31, last year. Again on September 9, 2020, the CM announced on the floor of the Legislative Assembly that he would lay the foundation stone for the two mosques after the end of Monsoon Session of the Assembly. This promise too was not honoured," he said.

The Congress leader accused the Chief Minister of having "openly cheated" both the Muslim and Hindu communities with his false promises.

"The construction of the first floor of the new Secretariat complex has already been completed. However, the Chief Minister has still not done anything to honour his promise of rebuilding the three places of worship," he said.

"CM KCR has repeatedly hurt the religious sentiments of both the Muslims and the Hindus of the state not only by illegally demolishing the mosques and the temple, but also by making false promises about their reconstruction. So far, the TRS government has demolished more than six places of worship, including the Ek Khana Masjid in Amberpet, on some pretext or the other. The CM cannot expect the Muslim community to remain silent over the demolition of mosques. I would urge him to show more sensitivity in such matters," Shabbir Ali added.

The Congress leader also demanded that the Chief Minister immediately initiate the reestablishment of both the mosques and the temple at the same place without further delay, and withdraw the cases booked against those who tried to visit the site of the mosques on the Secretariat's premises.