By Mohammed Siddique, TwoCircles.net,
Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to re-build the decades old mosque in the state Secretariat campus, next door to the Chief Minister’s office. The small mosque known as “Masjid-e-Siasiat” was built during the rule of the Nizam of Hyderabad, and the people were offering prayers under a asbestos shed which was built later. It was mostly the Muslim employees of the Secretariat and visitors who offered prayers at the mosque.
The minister for minority welfare Mohammed Ali Shabbir, speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony said that the state government has already sanctioned and released an amount of Rs 34 lakh for the construction of the mosque as per the design prepared by the famous architect Khairuddin Siddique. “The amount has been kept aside and the tenders have been issued for the purpose”, he said.
Shabbir said that Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy had taken personal interest in the plan for the building of a new structure in place of the existing old structure.
The foundation stone for the new building of the mosque was laid by prominent religious scholar Moulana Hameeduddin Aauqil Hussami in the presence of senior officials and political leaders. Moulana Hussami urged the Muslim community to ensure that no mosque is left deserted without the worshippers.
Earlier a major controversy had erupted when another small mosque “Masjid-e-Hashmi” in the Secretariat campus was pulled down by the government a few years ago to make way for a multi storied building to house the offices of ministers and officials. However the mosque was rebuilt later at a cost of Rs 10 lakh.
The Muslim community in Hyderabad is also struggling for the restoration and reconstruction of “Masjid-e-Omar Farooq” which was demolished during the construction of the new international airport at Shamshabad.
The community is exerting pressure on both the state government and the private promoter of the airport project GMR Group to construct the mosque at the earliest to facilitate the Muslim passengers and visitors’ offering prayers. The old airport at the Begumpet also had a mosque in its premises, built during the Nizam rule.