"I feel sorry about the incident. It should not have happened," Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said
Highlights
- New temple, mosque would be built on spacious area, KCR assured
- "I feel sorry about the incident. It should not have happened," he said
- "We will continue the secular spirit come what may," he added
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao today expressed regret over the damage caused to places of worship at the secretariat premises in Hyderabad during the demolition of old buildings and assured that a new temple and mosque would be built on a spacious area.
Mr Rao said he came to know that the religious places suffered some damage after debris fell on them when multi-storied buildings abutting them were being brought down.
"I feel sorry about the incident. It should not have happened. The government's intention is to build a new complex by demolishing the old buildings without causing any damage to the temple or the mosque," an official release quoted him as saying.
The Chief Minister said a new temple and mosque would be built over a more spacious area even if it meant spending crores of rupees. He said he would soon hold a meeting with the management of the temple and mosque, and take their views.
He promised that the places of worship would also be built along with the new Secretariat complex.
"Telangana state is a secular state. We will continue the secular spirit come what may. This incident happened unexpectedly. Everyone should understand this properly without prejudice," he said.
The Chief Minister's statement comes a day after Senior Congress leader in Telangana Mohammed Ali Shabbir had alleged that the places of worship in the Secretariat complex were demolished along with the old buildings that are being razed.
The state government began the demolition of the old secretariat complex on July 7 to pave the way for construction of a new building.
The move came days after the Telangana High Court dismissed a bunch of pleas challenging the state's decision to construct a new secretariat complex in Hyderabad.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)