Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao held a ground breaking ceremony for the construction of a new Secretariat and Assembly in Hyderabad. Though the state has a Secretariat and Assembly complex, KCR believes they are not "vaasthu-compliant" and decided to build two new complexes. The puja for the two buildings was conducted at the present Secretariat's ‘D’ block. The CM was accompanied by his son and TRS working president KTR, nephew Harish Rao, Home Minister Mahmood Ali, TRS parliamentary leader Keshava Rao and several other leaders.
BJP MLA Raja Singh and several party leaders protested in Hyderabad alleging that public funds were unnecessarily wasted in constructing a new Secretariat and Assembly complex. They were later taken into preventive custody by the Telangana police. According to the BJP, at least 150 of their activists were detained by the police. Activists led by former BJP MLA of Khairtabad, Chintala Ramachandra Reddy who came to protest at the venue were also detained at the Secretariat.
I have been arrested by Razakar Sarkar for protesting against New Secretariat construction.
— Raja Singh (@TigerRajaSingh) June 27, 2019
It's better to spend money & renovate Osmania govt hospital & schools which are under shabby condition since decades.@BJP4Telangana strongly oppose this move by KCR @TelanganaCMO pic.twitter.com/pXGXjqRpTH
వినియోగానికి అనుకూలంగా ఉన్న సెక్రటేరియట్ ను కూల్చి కొత్త భవనం కట్టేందుకు భూమిపూజ చేస్తున్న నేపథ్యంలో.. అక్కడ ఆందోళన చేపడుతారన్న భావించి టీఆర్ఎస్ ప్రభుత్వం బిజెపిపై నిర్బంధాలకు దిగుతోంది. హబ్సిగూడలోని ఓ హోటల్ లో ఉన్న ఎన్.రాంచందర్ రావును అరెస్టు చేసి ఓయూ పీఎస్ కు తరలించారు. pic.twitter.com/qNLJCAx1AB
— BJP Telangana (@BJP4Telangana) June 27, 2019
KCR's decision to raze parts of the old Secretariat building situated near the Hussain Sagar lake and construct a 'vaasthu- compliant' new building at the same spot has invited much criticism. The new Assembly building, however will come up at Errum Manzil, after demolishing the heritage structure. The new Secretariat and new Assembly would be constructed at an estimated total cost of Rs 500 crores. Rs 400 crore for Secretariat and Rs 100 crore for Assembly.
Speaking to TNM, BJP leader Ramachander Rao, said, “What is the need for a new Secretariat and Assembly when the existing structures are in perfect condition? The CM is wasting public money for his extravaganza. The state of education and health in Telangana is in tatters. Rather than focusing on them, he is focused on wasting public money.”
Before N Ramachander Rao could lead a protest to the Secretariat, he was detained by the Tarnaka police at around 8 am. Similarly, Raja Singh was detained at Nampally.
“The present Assembly building is a heritage structure which is in perfect condition, then why is the CM adamant on building a new structure?” Rao asked.
Several activists have opposed the decision of the government to demolish Errum Manzil which is a heritage structure, for the purpose. A Change.org petition has also been launched to prevent this.