A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking that the renaming of Osmania University Library as Bharat Ratna Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Library be declared illegal has been filed in the Telangana High Court.
The petition filed by legal heirs of Nizam VII is likely to come up for hearing after three days, said counsel for the petitioners M.A. Mukheed on Wednesday. Najaf Ali Khan and Mirza Mohib Baig, grandson and great-grandson respectively of Nizam VII, sought a direction to the Telangana government and university authorities to restore the library name as Osmania University Library.
The petitioners contended that the name was changed without following the due process of law. No government order was passed and even the facts relating to changing name of the library were not mentioned in the government website, they said. This action of the authorities was illegal, the petitioners said, citing different articles of the Constitution.
They requested the HC to instruct the government and OU officials to consider their representation and legal notices related to restoration of the library name and stop using the new name till the petition was disposed of.
They maintained that they had issued legal notices to OU officials on May 11 on learning that the latter had prepared a press note earlier renaming the university library building. According to them, the matter of renaming the library was not discussed with the authorities nd it was not notified in the official gazette.
Stating that they have great respect for the father of the Constitution, B. R. Ambedkar, the petitioners said they were surprised at renaming the library without following the procedures. It had hurt the sentiments of the family members of Nizam VII, who was instrumental in constructing the library building more than a century ago, the petitioners said.
