Cong files many FIRs on shrines’ demolition

Hundreds of Congress activists on Tuesday lodged complaints with the Saifabad police demanding that an FIR be lodged against the demolition of two mosques and a temple in the Secretariat premises.

TPCC minorities cell chairman Shaik Abdullah Sohail said, “we have lodged fresh complaints demanding registration of a criminal case against Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, Wakf Board Chairman Mohammed Saleem and others who are responsible for the demolition of places of worship to facilitate the construction of a new Secretariat building.”

He said the Masjid-eMoatamadi and Masjid-e-Hashmi were Wakf properties and one of them was a heritage building. They were protected under various Central laws. Therefore, their demolition was totally illegal and those responsible for it must be booked,” Sohail said after submitting a complaint at the Saifabad police Station. Sohail said nearly 500 Congress activists were planning to lodge separate complaints. Senior officials had requested them not to come in large numbers in view of the Covid-19 situation and also due to shortage of staff at the police station. Responding to their request, Sohail visited the police station to submit the complaint in person while Congress workers lodged their complaints online.

Sohail said, “we want the mosques and the temple to be reconstructed at the same place without any delay. We will not allow construction of the Secretariat until the government reconstructs all three places of worship at the same place. There will be no compromise on the issue.”