Hyderabad: The stone laying ceremony of the Secretariate mosque which was to take place on February 26 has been postponed in view of the Graduates MLC seat’s election code of conduct. State’s Home Minister Mohammed Mehmood Ali said the Secretariate mosque stone laying ceremony was to take place on February 26, 2021, which is being postponed in view of the Election Commission’s code of conduct which is in force.
The Home Minister reiterated that the state government is firm on its commitment to rebuild the mosques. Its stone laying ceremony is being postponed to avoid violation of the Election Commission’s code of conduct.
In this regard, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao had announced that the Secretariate’s mosques would be built on a grand scale and its responsibility shall be assigned to a Muslim committee. Imam’s quarters shall be constructed on the lands next to the mosques.
The Home Minister said that the work for the Secretariate has been commenced. “Immediately after the election, a new stone laying ceremony date shall be fixed in consultation with the Muslim Ulemas and leaders. The mosques shall be inaugurated before the inauguration of the Secretariate building and the call for the prayers would be echoed from its minarets,” assured the Minister. “Along with the mosque, the temple and the Church too shall be inaugurated. KCR is a secular leader who respects all religions. He would fulfill the promise of re-building the mosques. The people must trust his promise and have patience. They should not be misled by anyone in this regard,” asserted the Minister.
It is pertinent to note that on January 27, the state’s ministers T Srinivas Yadav, K Ishwar, and Mohammed Mehmood Ali held a meeting with Muslim political and religious leaders to review the re-construction of secretariate’s mosques. On the insistence of the Muslim leaders, February 26 was announced as the date for the stone laying ceremony. However, in view of the approaching deadline and the anxiety of the Muslim community, the state government had issued a clarification in this regard.
The EC code of conduct will be in force till March 22, 2021. The state government is likely to consult the Muslim political and religious leaders to fix a new date for the mosques’ stone laying ceremony.