Nizam’s kin to knock at HC door over move to raze OGH

Hyderabad: The kin of the Nizam have decided to knock on the doors of Telangana High Court while countering the State government’s decision to demolish heritage structure of Osmania Hospital.

Great-grandson of the Nizam, Himayat Ali Mirza, who earlier approached the HC countering the government stand on other heritage structures, said even this decision will be challenged in the court by the descendants.

“We shall be filing a writ petition to counter the government stand. Organisations like INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) have already approached the court. I shall also be backing them in their struggle to protect the monument of heritage importance. If possible, we shall implead in the existing case,” he said.

Ali said his maternal uncle Muffakham Jah, who is also the chairman of Nizam’s Trust, will be requested to support descendants, like him, in this endeavour. “I have already roped in my cousins.

I started requesting family members of Mukarram Jah, the VIII Nizam, and of Muffakham Jah, who is likely to visit Hyderabad in coming weeks. I will also request Azmet Jah, son of Mukarram Jah, who was crowned earlier this year,” he affirmed.

Meanwhile, Anuradha Reddy of INTACH lamented that the government wants ‘UNESCO’ tag; however, she refrained from providing details, citing the case was sub judice. “Lot of people have approached the court, let us wait and see,” she said.

The issue of Osmania Hospital has stretched for years and grabbed limelight following Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s visit in 2015. It has remained a bone of contention. AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP, Asaduddin Owaisi, for the past two years forcefully batted for a new structure.

In June he strongly criticised the government priorities, following laying of foundation for extension of NIMS by KCR. He termed this as a ‘blatant injustice’ to people of the constituency.