Hyderabad: Regulars up ante to Save Parade Ground,' call for more support

Hyderabad: “Save Parade Ground”, “We don’t want the Secretariat here”, slogans rent the air at Secunderabad’s largest lung space on Saturday morning.

Over 700 regular morning walkers, including senior citizens, women and children participated in the protest against the TRS government’s move to build a new administration building there.

The group of regular visitors to the Parade Ground took a pledge to unite and stand against the government, saying “I’m with Parade Ground”.

“Looks like the KCR government is following a Vastu rules by building a new secretariat. The civil society should take this matter to the high court,” said Mohammed Jameel, a walker.

The group formed a human chain connecting the two ends of the Parade Ground. Protesters started coming in from around 6.30 am.

The group terming themselves as “I’m with ParadeGround” decided to hold protests every single day at the ground till the government dropped the decision.

Parade Ground Walkers Association convener Parashuram claimed: “This fight will grow bigger. This is a people’s movement. We are connected to this place not just because it’s a walking ground. This is part of history; it is like losing a jewel on the city’s crown. The protest will continue till the government drops the idea.”

Another protest has been planned on Sunday morning. The group has called for more support especially from the regular morning-evening walkers.

Meanwhile, a plea against the move to shift the Secretariat from its present location is pending in the high court. The government has not filed a counter, yet.

Petitioner Mr M. Padmanabha Reddy said that, “Vastu or any other religious, spiritual belief system is purely for the individual to follow, and is completely independent of the state or state structure in a federal republic. Such belief systems cannot stand scientific scrutiny. To think that such majestic and eco-friendly building blocks housing the Secretariat are sought to be dismantled based on the whims of the political leadership, under the pretext of Vastu, is painful, and amounts to squandering of public money.”