Sruthi Vibhavari
Conspiracy theory or credible accusations?
While the Secretariat demolition has been stayed by a Telangana High Court order, clouds of suspicion regarding the immediate decision to demolish it and that too, in a secretive manner, continue to hang.
Naturally, the grapevine gives way to various theories that could be gospel or just plain gossip.
One of the many such rumours is that there exists a treasure trove beneath what is now the G-Block of the building. This building has been known as Saifabad Palace and that the KCR government is conspiring to acquire the treasure underhandedly.
In a press meet on Tuesday, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee working president, Malkajigiri Member of Parliament Revanth Reddy has said that the government is trying to hasten the demolition process in a secretive manner in order to conceal something very important.
He claimed the presence of ‘hidden reserves.’
The Saifabad Palace
The Saifabad Palace, whose premises extend up to the Mint Compound, once functioned as the treasury during the Nizam’s rule.
The sixth and seventh Nizams used the building as a reserve bank and there are strong clues that there are underground vaults consisting of rooms, which hold treasures worth thousands of crores. The archeology department spotting traces to such treasures in the construction sites near Saifabad’s Home Science College and Vidyaranya School in 2012 and 2016 respectively. Both structures supposedly lead to the palace.
Although upon intimating both institutions about the need for necessary cooperation, The GHMC received no response from them. The digging of the Vidyaranya School by the Departnment of Archeology was also stopped mid-way due to public outcry over the foolishness of the government following such rumours.
Should the Archaeology Dept take over?
Now, the entire demolition process is being taken in a hush-hush manner. The roads leading to the Secretariat are diverted, closed-circuit cameras in and around the vicinity are shut, the media persons are not allowed to cover the demolition, and workers in the demolition process are not allowed to carry their mobiles inside.
Plus, when two constables on-duty shot a few pictures, they were suspended. Until the HC stalled the demolition works on Friday, July 10, the works were being carried out at a fast pace.
Revanth Reddy, a vocal critic of the KCR government, suggests that the demolition works must be stalled indefinitely and the premises must be handed over to the Archeology Department to do its job and study historical facts about the structure.
That too, with full transparency.