TFP I CORRESPONDENT
Hyderabad, Oct 24
A statue of Lord Ram installed near the Ammavari Temple at Basheer Bagh Chowrasta in Hyderabad was removed on Saturday following objections to its installation and a demand to rename the junction as ‘Sri Ram Chowk’. Heavy police deployment was witnessed in the area as a precautionary measure amid concerns over possible communal tension.
The statue was installed during the Vijayadashami celebrations by Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi (BGUS) General Secretary Dr. Ravinuthala Shashidhar, who had appealed to Hindus to refer to Basheer Bagh Chowrasta as ‘Sri Ram Chowk’. Following objections, temple staff removed the statue with the assistance of a crane and transported it on a lorry. Police personnel were deployed to maintain law and order and prevent any untoward incidents.
The proposed renaming of the junction also drew objections, with questions raised over the authority of individuals or organisations to announce a change in the name of a public road without following the prescribed legal and administrative procedures. Concerns were also raised over reported construction of a religious structure within a GHMC park and whether the necessary permissions had been obtained.
Earlier on Saturday, Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) Spokesperson Amjed Ullah Khan, accompanied by party leaders met GHMC Commissioner R. V. Karnan, IAS, Abids Assistant Commissioner of Police P. Praveen Kumar and Abids Police Station Inspector K. Parashuram and submitted a memorandum seeking an inquiry into the developments.
The delegation urged the authorities to verify the permissions for the statue installation and reported construction within the park, take action if any unauthorised activity or encroachment was established, clarify whether any formal proposal to rename Basheer Bagh X Road had been approved, and ensure that all decisions concerning public roads and municipal property complied with the law
