Vadras in city for son’s eye injury

The Vadras, Priyanka Gandhi and Robert, were in the city on Saturday to seek a second opinion from doctors at the L.V. Prasad Eye Hospital for their 16-year-old son Rehan, who had hurt his left eye while playing cricket. The family had been referred to the hospital by doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi. According to sources, senior Congress leader T. Subbarami Reddy had made arrangements for their visit to the hospital. The Gandhi family stayed at Park Hyatt Hotel and left for home immediately after consulting doctors at the hospital.

Senior doctors at the L.V. Prasad Eye Hospital refused to comment.

Sources said the family had only come for consultation, A source said, “There was no procedure carried out. The parents were concerned about the injury and wanted to know about the treatment procedures. They were briefed about the options.”

Policemen had beefed up security. Local Congress leaders were not aware of the visit till late afternoon. People protested as the Qutb Shahi ashoorkhana at Golconda was sealed by the Nizam’s Wakf committee; even caretaker Syed Javed is not being allowed enter the premises.

Mr Syed Ali Jaffery, a Shia community member at Golconda, said the ashoorkhana was locked without reason. “The building is old but it is not in a dilapidated condition. It was well maintained,” he said.

The caretaker would clean it every Thursday as prayers were offered in the evening and Friday afternoon.

Residents also complained to the chief executive officer of the Wakf Board. In a letter, the residents alleged that the open land outside the ashoorkhana was going to be leased out to a cafeteria for visitors to the fort.

Mr Javed, the caretaker, said, “The building requires renovation but is not in such a condition that it will collapse. The Wakf Board is not spending money on restoring the building.”

Devotees pooled money, got the building cleaned and whitewashed and removed vegetation, he said.

“The place where the alams are kept is open for devotees who come on Thursdays and Fridays. This week they were very angry that it was locked,” he said.

A members of the Nizam’s Wakf committee said the building required repairs.