GHMC succumbed to blackmail, Charges Lok Satta

The Lok Satta Party today termed the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation succumbing to religious pressure in agreeing to reconstruct a demolished temple obstructing traffic at Kothi here as a disgrace.

Lok Satta Party’s Working Committee members Laxman Balaji and N. Ravinder told the media that while the Constitution guarantees every one the right to worship the God of his or her choice, it does not permit construction of places of worship in the midst of roads and obstructing traffic much to the inconvenience of all road users. “No scripture says that the best place for worshipping God is in the midst of a road”, they said and added it was an insult to God and the to the faith people adhere to.

The Lok Satta said that the Government was duty bound to remove all such encroachments irrespective the religion to which they belong.

By agreeing to reconstruct the temple and suspending officials for undertaking the demolition, the authorities succumbed to religious blackmail, said the leaders. They also condemned the Sangh Pariwar for resorting to violence and obstructing officials from discharging their duty.

They accused the Government of interfering in religion by subsidizing Muslims’ travel to Haj initially and now Christians’ for places associated with Jesus Christ to serve their narrow vote bank politics. “One need not be surprised if a future Government subsidizes travel to Hindu places of worship like Kasi and Tirupati.”

The Lok Satta recalled that the Mulayam Singh Government had to withdraw its order declaring Friday a weekly holiday in its bid to placate Muslims when Muslims said they were interested in education, health care and job skills and opportunities and not a Friday holiday.