Rajnath Singh unveils Vajpayee statue in Secunderabad amid protest

The Defence Minister unveiled an 11-ft statue of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and inaugurated the redeveloped Picket Garden in Secunderabad. The event was met with a protest from former SCB members

Hyderabad: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh unveiled an 11-ft statue of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Picket Garden in Secunderabad Cantonment on Wednesday. He also inaugurated the redeveloped Atal Bihari Vajpayee Park (popularly known as Picket Garden).

Located near Jubilee Bus Station (JBS) in Secunderabad, Picket Garden is one of the oldest parks maintained by the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB). Spanning 3.5 acres, the park features lush greenery and majestic Royal Palm trees.

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Meanwhile, former SCB ward members who were elected with BRS party support staged a protest in front of the entrance gate of Picket Garden, alleging they were not invited to the statue unveiling ceremony. They arrived at the venue an hour before the Defence Minister’s arrival, but police restricted them, stating they had no permission to enter.

These former SCB ward members also attempted to present representations on two issues – long-standing pending service charges amounting to Rs 1,000 crore and conducting the elections for the SCB – to the Defence Minister, but the police denied them access. The irked agitators then placed representations at the feet of the unveiled Atal Bihari Vajpayee statue.

A heated argument ensued between the former SCB ward members and SCB chief executive officer D Madhukar Naik over their exclusion from the event. Protesting against the CEO’s attitude, they also gheraoed him.