All-party meet vows to fight against Secretariat demolition

Chief Minister can be sent to jail for promoting superstitions, says Bhatti

Former Justice Chandra Kumar addressing a CPI-sponsored round-table conference against demolition of the existing Secretariat Complex in Hyderabad, at Maqdoom Bhavan on Tuesday.— Photo: Mohammed Yousuf

The all-party round table meeting convened by the Communist Party of India here on Tuesday, condemned the Telangana Government’s decision for demolition of the State Secretariat buildings and construction of new ones, and resolved to fight tooth and nail against it.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee’s working president Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka lambasted Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, and said he can be sent to jail for promoting superstitions such as ‘Vaastu’ in a secular set up.

Mr. Rao intends to have his name on every structure, thereby wasting public money at the cost of people’s needs, he alleged.

In the name of ‘Vaastu’, the Chief Minister wishes to perpetuate his family’s reign, and foist his personal needs as public needs, said Mr. Bhatti Vikramarka.

Retired High Court Judge B. Chandra Kumar termed the decision an act of betrayal of people’s trust, and sought to ask the Chief Minister if the ‘Vaastu’ as followed by other religions too is being considered, as part of the secular democracy.

CPI State secretary Chada Venkat Reddy, who presided over the meeting, questioned the need for demolition and reconstruction of the Secretariat building when the government owes hundreds of crores of rupees for various schemes and programmes.

Now that the buildings thus far with the Andhra Pradesh Government too will come into use, wastage of public money at this scale is uncalled for, he said.

TDP State secretary K. Amarnath Babu said Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao wants to imitate the neighbouring State of Andhra Pradesh in building a new Secretariat, which, he said, is meaningless.

He just wishes to scrap the election promises and divert attention by bringing non-issues into focus, he said.

CPI(M) State executive member Ch. Seetaramulu demanded an all-party meeting to be held to discuss people’s issues and needs, instead of the Chief Minister taking unilateral and autocratic decisions.

TJAC representative and advocate Prahlad condemned the decision and said it was taken without consultation with the legislative bodies, which makes it unconstitutional and against the directive principles.

Representatives from YSR Congress Party, CPI-ML, MCPI, RSP, Telangana Lok Satta, SUCI-C, and others participated in the meeting.

‘Decision taken without consultation with the legislative bodies, which makes it unconstitutional’