Telangana Congress leaders continued their protest on Saturday, against the state government's decision to construct a brand new Secretariat at the Bison Polo ground in Secunderabad.
The leaders came equipped with wrist bands that read 'Save Bison Polo', and handed them to people passing through the area, seeking their support.
"With placards to 'Save Bison Polo Grounds', Cantonment citizens greeted NCC cadets, Army officials and motorists, and gifted them green wristbands with 'Save Bison Polo Ground's written on them. People lauded the campaign and pledged support for the campaign against construction of a new Secretariat at the spot," TPCC official spokesperson M Krishank said.
This comes after protesters and police locked horns at the spot on Thursday evening.
Led by the TPCC, several people protested at the Ground, against the move, that would rob the city of green cover, and lung space.
Police stopped protesters from entering into the ground on Thursday, which triggered mild tension. In a symbolic protest, the Congress leaders even carried an effigy of the Telangana CM to the spot, and went on to hang it on one of the trees located on the ground.
For a few months now, KCR has openly been eyeing the land in Gymkhana Ground and Bison Polo Ground, for constructing a Secretariat, Legislature and a cultural centre on the premises.
He announced that the state government would be taking over the land this week, after a visit to New Delhi, to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley last month.
When asked about apprehensions by citizens that the new Secretariat will result in the city losing an open sports ground, he said, "There are nearly 500 acres dedicated for sports grounds and facilities and most of them are not being used for sports. In fact, Gachibowli indoor stadium is being used for hosting weddings."
However, activists are still not satisfied with his claims, and say that there is no need for a new Secretariat in the city.
KCR also said that the Centre had agreed to transfer defence lands to the state, for construction of flyovers, as part of its Strategic Road Development Programme (SRDP).
The SRDP is part of the state's plan to construct multi-layer flyovers over 20 junctions in the city to decongest traffic in Hyderabad.