Amberpet Issue : BJP lashes out at HM, police, GHMC

Hyderabad: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) senior leader G Kishan Reddy questioned the propriety of TRS leader and Home Minister Mahmood Ali for allegedly favouring the construction of a mosque on public land.

The BJP leader said the land was acquired for the purpose of construction of flyover after paying due compensation to the owners of private property.

Addressing media here on Tuesday, the BJP leader lashed out at the TRS leader and criticised the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) officials and city police for reportedly actively supporting the illegal trespass and encroachment of the site in Amberpet by All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) Yakutpura MLA Syed Ahmed Pasha Quadri and others.

He said the property in question originally belonged to three bothers. They were paid Rs 2.5 crore as compensation for the property for the construction of a flyover.

Funds for the payment of compensation had been sent by the Centre to the GHMC, which paid the compensation and took control of the site. Later, in April 2018, the houses at the site were demolished, he said.

The family which owned the property had been paying house tax since 1951. The government records showed it as private property. The land was acquired after due process of land acquisition by paying compensation.

The owner of the land had even given in writing to the Hyderabad Police Commissioner on May 4 that there was no mosque existing on the site.

The BJP leader said despite all these apparent facts, the GHMC officials remain mum and the police provided protection to the Yakutpura MLA's illegal trespass, occupation and offering prayers at the site, claiming it as a mosque site.

Kishan Reddy demanded that the State government spell out its stand on the issue. He also demanded action against the police officials who had extended their support to the MIM MLA to offer prayers at the site in question.

Later, the BJP leader along with the leaders from different parties from Amberpet met Chief Secretary S K Joshi and submitted a representation to take stringent action against the officials concerned for extending support to those trying to create troubles for the flyover construction and trying to disturb peace in Amberpet.

The leaders said the flyover has been a long-cherished dream of the people of Amberpet.

However, the MIM has been trying to create trouble in the area by bringing its workers from the Old City.

"We have formed a Joint Action Committee (JAC) and we have appraised the situation to the Chief Secretary and hope that justice would be done to the people of the area," he said.

Meanwhile, former Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya demanded that the TPCC chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy spell out his party's stand on the statements of TPCC working president and former Congress MP Mohammad Azharuddin.

He said the former Congress MP had claimed that a mosque had been demolished as part of the construction of a flyover at Amberpet.

The TPCC president should make it clear whether it is the personal opinion of the former Congress MP or his party's stand on the issue.

Because, even former Congress corporators and leaders have joined hands in the Amberpet Protection Committee (APC) to protect the interests of the local residents, he said.