BJP will demolish domes of Telangana secretariat: Bandi Sanjay

Hyderabad, Feb 10 (IANS) Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Friday said that if the BJP comes to power in the state, it would demolish the domes of the new state secretariat building as they reflect the culture of Nizams.

Sanjay alleged that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao turned the secretariat into a mausoleum like the Taj Mahal to please AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi.

Sanjay, who is also a member of Parliament, also stated that if the BJP comes to power in Telangana, it will destroy the symbols of Nizam's culture in the state.

"We will make changes in the state secretariat so that it reflects the Indian and Telangana culture," he said while addressing a street corner meeting of the BJP in Kukatpally Assembly constituency.

Gearing up for the Assembly elections scheduled to be held towards the end of 2023, the BJP on Friday launched a campaign to hold street corner meetings in all 118 Assembly constituencies.

Sanjay, who is known for making controversial statements, also dared municipal administration and urban development minister K.T. Rama Rao to demolish mosques on roads in the old city.

He alleged that Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) are one and the same. He said the two parties who were sharing power in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) were enacting a drama for the Assembly elections.

The new secretariat building is set for inauguration by the chief minister on February 17.

The seven-storey structure with a built-up area of 7 lakh square feet and equipped with all modern facilities has been constructed at a cost of nearly Rs 650 crore near Hussain Sagar lake on the same land where the old Secretariats of Telangana and earlier united Andhra Pradesh stood.

The state government has named the new Secretariat complex after Dr B.R. Ambedkar.

CM KCR has already stated that it reflects the pride of Telangana and would stand as a role model for other states.

The government recently announced that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M.K. Stalin, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, JD-U national president Lalan Singh as representative of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, B.R. Ambedkar's grandson Prakash Ambedkar and other dignitaries will attend the inaugural event.

Sanjay also announced that Pragati Bhavan, the official residence of the chief minister, will be turned into Praja Durbar if the BJP was voted to power.

A couple of days ago, state Congress chief A. Revanth Reddy had triggered a row with the remark that it would make no difference to people even if Maoists blew up Pragati Bhavan as it was not serving any purpose.