The storm created by an unauthorised bust of a 17-year-old boy in Alwal has ended with the staff of GHMC City Planning wing razing the structure to ground, along with the pedestal, on Tuesday.
The bust became the bone of contention when GHMC Assistant City Planner Madhavi was attacked on Monday for removing the bust. A scuffle broke out between Ms. Madhavi and the boy’s mother Gottimukkula Jyothi, a co-option member of the GHMC Council, during ‘Praja Vani’ programme on Monday, with the latter going to the extent of manhandling the official. A case was filed in Alwal Police Station against the member.
The incident set off angry reactions and vows of reprisal from various unions of GHMC on Monday. While Greater Hyderabad Municipal Employees Union president U. Gopal threatened to empty garbage trucks in the homes of anybody who manhandles officials henceforth, town planning staff, in a show of solidarity, wore black badges to office on Tuesday.
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They met Commissioner M. Dana Kishore, who assured action against the member, and gave a go-ahead for removal of the bust, which, incidentally, was re-erected even while the dispute was on. “Armed with the Commissioner’s order, all of us city planners went to Alwal along with a JCB and brought the bust down. We carried it away so that they will not be able to re-install it,” said Shankar, coordinator of the association.
This was the third or fourth time the bust was removed, after its installation a year ago, following the boy’s death in an accident. Projecting him as a fighter for separate state of Telangana, the bust was re-installed a number of times.
“We first removed it on our own, upon advice by a few. We installed it again on his first death anniversary, and the ACP got it removed. We reinstalled it and she got it removed again. There are many unauthorised statues on roads which are unauthorised. Why is she after us,” asks G.Srinivas Goud, claiming that his son fought for Telangana even as a child.
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Ms. Madhavi was not available for comment.