"Will Demolish Domes Of New Telangana Secretariat If Elected": BJP State Chief

Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Friday said his party would demolish the domes of the state's new Secretariat building if it gets elected to power, and make changes to it to reflect the culture of Telangana along with that of the country.

Addressing a street corner meeting at Old Bowenpally here as part of 'Janam Gosa-BJP Bharosa' (people's suffering - BJP's assurance) campaign, he disapproved of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao inaugurating the new Secretariat on the latter's birthday on February 17.

The Secretariat building, named after Babasaheb Ambedkar by the BRS government, should be inaugurated on April 14, Ambedkar's birth anniversary, Kumar said.

The BRS government has increased the expenditure estimates to build the Secretariat from Rs 400 crore to Rs 1,500 crore, the Karimnagar Lok Sabha member alleged.

"With Rs 1,500 crore, he is building Secretariat like Taj Mahal. Once BJP government is formed, we will definitely demolish those domes. We will change the Secretariat in such a way that it reflects Telangana and Indian culture," he said.

Referring to AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi's reported reported comments that the new Secretariat has been built magnificently, like a Taj Mahal, he alleged that Mr Rao is trying to please Mr Owaisi and that Taj Mahal is actually a 'samadhi'.

He also said Pragati Bhavan, the Chief Minister's camp office-cum-official residence here, would be converted into a 'Praja Darbar'.

Alleging that AIMIM is not sincere about the welfare of minorities, he asked as to why youth from the old city of Hyderabad are not getting jobs.

The BJP leader slammed the ruling BRS for not implementing its election promises like making a Dalit leader as chief minister, providing financial support to unemployed youth and for alleged poor implementation of 'Dalit Bandhu' scheme among others.

The BJP, if elected to power in the state, would provide free education and health to poor, Mr Kumar added.

Meanwhile, the ruling BRS found fault with Mr Kumar's comments that the domes of the Secretariat would be demolished.

In an apparent reference to Mr Kumar's remarks, Telangana Municipal Administration Minister K T Rama Rao said the opposition parties talked about demolitions and that they lacked a constructive approach.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)