Hundreds form human chain at Parade Ground, where KCR government wants to build new Secretariat

A spontaneous protest has erupted after K Chandrashekhar Rao's Telangana Rastra Samiti government controversially decided to build a new Secretariat at the historic Parade Ground. On Saturday, as many as 1,000 walkers, health enthusiasts, sportspersons and others gathered at the ground and formed a human chain in protest.

The Telangana chief minister is avoiding the current Secretariat due to its 'vastu dosha.'

Rao requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and then former Defence Minister Manohar Parikkar, to hand over the Bison Polo ground - part of the Parade ground - to the his government for the construction of a new state-of-the-art Secretariat complex. Telangana is expected to get the Centre's nod.

The Telangana government has promised to provide the Defence Ministry with 150 acres of land on the city's outskirts, in lieu of Bison Polo ground.

'GOVERNMENT HAS NO KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HISTORICAL



RELEVANCE'

Speaking to reporters, social activist and politician Krishank said, "This government has no knowledge about the historical relevance. On one hand, they are planning to demolish the Nizam era structures at (the) current secretariat, while on the other hand they are planning to occupy the land which had significance during the British era."

"While the entire Hyderabad province, which was under Nizam rule, merged into Indian Union after 'operation Polo' on September 17, 1948, Secunderbad Cantonment celebrated independence on 15 August 1947 at this very parade ground," he said. 

The Parade Ground is the only place that hosts the Independence Day parade and the Republic Day parade in the state capital (in addition to the Telangana Formation day celebration), and now the decision of the state government has irked the city's civil society, as thousands use the open space every day for their morning walk and other exercises