Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday assured a delegation of Muslim religious leaders that the State government would lay the foundation stone for two mosques, a temple and a church, on a single day inside the new Secretariat complex after the ensuing Assembly session.
Led by Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, the delegation called on Mr. Rao at his camp office to take up the reconstruction of mosques in the Secretariat, which were pulled down as part of demolition of buildings to pave way for new constructions. Mr. Rao told them that the religious places would be constructed at government cost reflecting the secular outlook of the State government, a release said.
While admitting the damage to mosques during demolitions, Mr. Rao said that new ones would be constructed at the same places where they existed and would have all amenities. Two mosques, each of 750 square yards, would have attached residential quarters for Imams, which would be handed over to the Wakf Board on completion.
A temple of 1,500 sq. yards would also be constructed and left to the endowments department, along with a church for Christians.
Mr. Rao convinced the leaders that the government would observe religious tolerance as it was committed to treating all faiths on an equal footing. The construction of an orphanage for Muslim children at Nampally ‘Anees-ul-Gurba’ would be expedited too, and 80% of the work was already completed. An amount of ₹18 crore was required for the balance work that will be released shortly.
He recalled that the government had decided to construct an Islamic centre of international standards in the city but it was delayed due to COVID. The construction would begin soon as the location was already identified.
He stressed the need for burial grounds all around the city. The Collectors of Ranga Reddy and Medak districts had identified certain spots on government instructions. The government would construct them over 150 to 200 acres at different places.
The Narayanpet Collector was told to allot land and construct an alternate Ashoorkhana, a religious place, which was damaged during road widening.
Discussing the importance given to promotion of Urdu in the State, he said the government had recognised it as the second official language and would take up developmental programmes for it through the official language commission. A representative of Urdu would be appointed as the vice-chairman of the commission.
Apart from Mr. Asaduddin Owaisi, others present were Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali, MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi, All India Muslim Personal Law Board member Maulana Mufti Khaleel Ahmed and secretary Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, Majlis Ulema-e-Deccan president Maulana Syed Kubul Badsha Shattari, Tameer-e-Millat vice-president Maulana Ziauddin Naiyer, Telangana Urdu Academy chairman Raheemuddin Ansari and some others.
