Stone laid for secretariat mosque

Two mosques at old secretariat complex had been razed 16 months ago

Sixteen months after the demolition of the old secretariat complex, a foundation stone was laid on Thursday, paving the way for the construction of a mosque. The complex had two mosques on its premises.

The move came as a surprise to many who were vocal against the demolition of these places of worship, and had raised their voice against the government over the past few months. Amid tight security, a limited number of people, including faith leaders and political leaders, attended the event, the video clips and images of which appeared on social media pages of legislators.

The foundation stone was laid by prominent cleric Mufti Khaleel Ahmed from the Islamic seminary Jamia Nizamia, in the presence of politicians including Home Minister Mohammad Mahmood Ali, and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen legislators Akbaruddin Owaisi and Ahmed Balala, among others. Other faith leaders including Hamed Mohammed Khan from Jamaat-e-Islami Telangana Odisha and Hafiz Peer Shabbir Ahmed from Jamiat-e-Ulama Hind were also present.