The Supreme Court on Monday declined a plea for a direction to the Centre and the Telangana government to reconstruct the religious structures razed during the demolition of the old Secretariat building in Hyderabad.
The Telangana government has decided to demolish the old Secretariat for constructing the new one spread over 25 acres in Hyderabad and in the process, two mosques and a temple have also been razed, the plea said.
A Bench led by Justice Ashok Bhushan allowed Hyderabad-based lawyer and petitioner Khaja Aijazuddin to withdraw the plea to pursue the remedy in the High Court, but refused to direct the Telangana High Court to decide the case pertaining to demolition of religious structures expeditiously.
The plea had sought a direction for the Centre and the State government to pass an executive order or resolution in the Telangana Assembly or Parliament by giving a commitment for rebuilding the religious places, only or at the same places where they stood, and also by terming the demolition highly unwarranted, illegal and unconstitutional.
It said there were ‘Nalla Pochamma Temple’ and two mosques namely masjid Dafaatir-e-Muatamadi and ‘masjid-e-Hashmi’ inside the old secretariat building premises which have been demolished.
