Hyderabad: Following the decision to demolish Osmania Hospital, the Telangana government has been accused of actively facilitating the removal of Asaf Jahi dynasty symbols. The allegations have been leveled after the government filed an affidavit in court, affirming its decision to demolish the historic hospital building.
According to rights activist Abdul Rawoof, the systematic erasure of Asafia-era symbols by Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has been evident since he first expressed his plans to demolish Osmania Hospital during his 2015 visit. Despite the lack of action at the time, the recent revelation of the government’s decision showcases their intent.
Now, with the affidavit filed in court, it is evident that the government has decided to demolish Osmania Hospital, with cabinet approval. However, social activist Lubna Sarwath and others in their appeal to the Chief Justice Alok Aradhe in Telangana High Court said the decision of the state government to demolish a notified heritage building is unconstitutional and damage the city’s identity.
She reminded the attempts that were made to build a new assembly building by demolishing the Erram Manzil, but the Telangana High Court intervened and protected the building from demolition in September 2019, although preservation work has yet to begin.
Previously, the Saifabad palace was completely demolished under the pretext of constructing a new secretariat, whereas the Andhra governments had sought to preserve the palace to a significant extent.
During the recent rains, damage to the buildings of Charminar Unani Hospital and Military Medical College Unani has been reported. Regrettably, complaints about preserving these buildings have been ignored, possibly paving the way for their demolition in the future.
Apart from this, while limiting water supply from the Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar reservoirs for decades, the government has instead expanded water supply through Mission Bhagiratha and the Krishna water supply. These actions appear to be part of an effort to allegedly erase the signs of the Asaf Jahi dynasty.
In the past, during the Telangana struggle, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi had proposed renaming Kasu Brahmananda Reddy National Park (KBR Park) to Asafia Park. However, these representations seem to have been overlooked by the Chief Minister.
KCR, while praising the system and governance of the Asaf Jahi dynasty during the Telangana struggle, has consistently accused in efforts to erase the traces in the state since the formation of Telangana. It is worth noting that according to laws, the government does not possess the authority to decide on demolishing listed cultural heritage sites, and instead, the government should work towards their preservation.
Follow on Twitter | Edited by Sameer Khan | 
