Temple, mosque to be ready before Secretariat inauguration: Govt assures HC

HYDERABAD: The state government submitted to the High Court that both a temple and mosque would be constructed in the Secretariat premises. They will be ready by the time the secretariat complex is inaugurated. It also clarified that both places of worship were being constructed on ample space and more than fifty per cent construction work had been completed. These two are being constructed in lieu of the temple and mosques that were demolished for the new structure, the government said.

Government counsel Harender Pershad submitted a memo from the chief secretary assuring the construction of the places of worship, though the government did not mention it they would be built in the same place.

A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice C.V. Bhaskar Reddy was dealing with a PIL and a petition filed by advocate Kaja Aizajuddin and others, who sought the court to direct the government to rebuild the two new mosques where the demolished ones had existed. In another petition, the petitioners also sought directions to rebuild the temple.

Later, the High Court directed the State to ensure that the demolished mosque and temple are constructed afresh within the complex. Further, it said that as there are a number of mosques in the neighborhood, no inconvenience should be caused to those who offer prayers till a new mosque is constructed in the Secretariat complex.