Hyderabad: The controversy over the move to demolish the historic building of Osmania General Hospital in Hyderabad has intensified, with Telangana deputy Chief Minister Mohammad Ali saying that if the need arises, the government will demolish even Charminar, the 425-year-old icon of Hyderabad.

The remark, in defence of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s decision to raze the century-old hospital to construct a new hospital building, has left opposition leaders, heritage activists and the public even angrier.

Slamming those opposing the proposed demolition, Ali asked, “Do the citizens need museums and heritage [sites] or good hospitals?”

What really touched a raw nerve was his remark on Charminar, which was built by Quli Qutub Shah in 1591. “Hazarons saal band agar Charminar bhi kamzor ho jata hai toh kya karte? Todna Padta”. (What we will do if thousands of years later Charminar becomes weak? We will have to demolish it).

He wondered why the government should spend Rs1 billion (Dh57 million) to repair Osmania Hospital when new buildings with better facilities can be built with the same money. “The government gives more importance to the health than the old buildings”, he said. Ali denied that the government was planning to change the name of Osmania Hospital.

The opposition Congress party and others reacted angrily, and wanted the Deputy Chief Minister to retract the statement. Senior Congress leader V Hanumantha Rao demanded to know whether the state government was trying to erase the memories of the erstwhile state of Hyderabad and its Nizam ruler by demolishing all the old buildings. “The government was trying to save historic buildings including Qutub Minar across the country and here we are demolishing them”, Rao said. He demanded the immediate scrapping of plans to bring down the building.

Rao along with the Telangana Congress’ working committee president Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and others visited the hospital, spoke the patients and doctors.

“Charminar, Osmania Hospital and Osmania University are the identities of Hyderabad across the world. These structures need to be preserved”, Rao said.

The State Minorities Commission chairman, Abid Rasool Khan, has also apoken out strongly against the demolition plans. In a letter to the Chief Minister he suggested renovation and repair of the building. He pointed out that buildings older than Osmania Hospital were stable and safe. “Then why it cannot be preserved?” he asked.

Khan convened a meeting of experts, NGOs, heritage activists and the representatives of the Aga Khan Trust to prepare a plan to conserve the building and submit a report to the state government.

Yadgiri, a social activist, said that the demolition of Osmania Hospital will have the same impact as the demolition of Babri Masjid’s had.

The recommendation to demolish the Osmania Hospital was made by the engineers from Jawaharlal Nehru Technology University in Hyderabad and the government had accepted it.

However, there are indications that the angry public reaction is having its impact on the government. In a later development, Ali said: “If people agree we will demolish the hospital. Otherwise we will look for alternatives. Whatever happens will be in the interest of the people and with their approval.”

Meanwhile, the government has also given up the idea of shifting the patients of Osmania Hospital to other hospitals in the city. In view of the resistance from the patients and their relatives, the state health minister Dr C Lakshma Reddy announced that new air-conditioned rooms will be built on open land for the outpatient block and the inpatients will be shifted to the present outpatient block.

The cancellation of the shifting of the inpatients to Sultan Bazar hospital has come as a relief to the doctors opposing the move.

However, the state government has not clarified whether it will go for restoration and renovation or demolition.