Nizam family, BJP lend hand in cause

Opposition to the Telangana Government’s plans to demolish the heritage building of Osmania General Hospital gained further momentum on Monday with the members of the Nizam family also joining the campaign to preserve the building.After the main Opposition Congress, the BJP has also come out openly against the destruction of the historically important and magnificent structure. The State BJP President G Kishan Reddy said that his party will not allow the Government to touch the building.

Meanwhile, the Hyderabad High Court on Monday admitted a public interest litigation opposing the demolition of the building of the era of the last Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan. The petition filed by an advocate will be taken up for hearing on Tuesday. The petitioner has sought the intervention of the court to save the building from the demolition.

Meanwhile, Mir Azmath Ali Khan, a descendant of the Nizam, and known for his sketches of the historic buildings and heritage structures of Hyderabad also joined the others in the struggle to save the historic building.He said that the State Government can utilise the open land available in the hospital premises to construct the new buildings and preserve the century old hospital building. “Osmania Hospital is one of the few heritage buildings left in Hyderabad,” he said.

Meanwhile, a delegation of Telangana Joint Committee led by Prof Kodanda Ram visited the Osmania Hospital and inspected the conditions prevailing in the hospital. He said that any effort by the Government to improve the conditions of the hospital will be welcomed. But he opposed the idea of demolishing the existing structure saying this was the part of Telangana’s heritage. “JAC will discuss where the new building of Osmania Hospital should be constructed”, he said.Senior BJP leader and former Minister Nagam Janardhan Reddy said that his party will obstruct any attempt by the Government to raze the Osmania Hospital building.