Hyderabad: The foundation stone was laid for the construction of a church within the premises of Telangana Secretariat on Thursday.
Amidst communal flare-ups across the country, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader Rajeshwar Rao stated that, “Telangana is a symbol of religious tolerance and known for Ganga-Jamuna tehzeeb.”
Medak Diocese Bishop reverend Dr AC Soloman and Rajeshwar Rao laid the foundation stone for the new church at the Secretariat. Bishop Soloman participated in the groundbreaking ceremony and performed special prayers.
The state government has allotted rupees 1.5 crores and 500 yards for the construction of the church on the secretariat’s premises.
Bishop Soloman said, “Chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao is safeguarding secular fabric in Telangana and giving opportunity to all communities equally.”
Since the demolition of the two mosques at the Secretariat in July 2020, controversy gripped over the re-building of places of worship. Massive protests and writ petitions were also filed at the Telangana high court by prominent lawyers seeking immediate re-building of the mosques.
Keeping the spirit of democracy alive, the state government has decided to build places of worship for various religions on the premises of the newly constructed Secretariat.
