Shabbir Ali Writes Open Letter to KCR Seeking Clarification on Two Secretariat Mosques Reconstruction
“We will lodge a criminal complaint against the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary for violating the provisions of Places of Worship Act, 1991 and other relevant laws,” he said.
Hyderabad: Former State Minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir today demanded Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao to furnish proof that the two mosques in the Secretariat premises – Masjid-e-Moatamadi and Masjid-e- Hashmi were being reconstructed at their original sites without any relocation.
Addressing a press conference in Gandhi Bhavan, Mohd Ali Shabbir released a letter to the Chief Minister which he has written seeking immediate clarification from the CM regarding the site for reconstruction of two demolished in the Secretariat premises.
Speaking on the occasion, he said that there were serious doubts over the exact location of the mosques, whose foundation stone for the reconstruction was laid on 25th November. He said that if KCR fails to issue a clarification within 15 days, the Congress party would explore all legal and other democratic means to get justice.
“We will lodge a criminal complaint against the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary for violating the provisions of Places of Worship Act, 1991 and other relevant laws,” he said.
Shabbir Ali said that the demolition of places of worship in the Secretariat was a crime and an open violation of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 which says that the religious character of a place of worship existing on the 15th day of August, 1947 shall continue to be the same as it existed on that day. Further, the land where the mosques existed was a Wakf property and not owned by the State Government although they were located in the Secretariat premises. Therefore, their demolition amounted to trespass and encroachment, he said.
He recalled that he had addressed a letter on 27th June, 2019, more than a year before the demolition, expressing apprehension that the mosques might be demolished and requested the Chief Minister to protect those places of worship. However, he said his request was ignored and what he feared a year ago proved right.
Shabbir Ali said he was highly pained over the demolition of Secretariat mosques.
Congress senior leaders Md Afzaluddin, Uzma Shakir, Sameer Waliullah and Mateen Shareef were also present in the press conference.
