Hyderabad Haj House entry restrictions have triggered opposition from Muslim leaders and activists, who say the new verification process is inconveniencing people visiting government offices at Razaaq Manzil on Public Garden Road. The Minority Welfare Department has defended the regulated access, saying it followed protests and other untoward incidents inside the building that raised security concerns.
Razaaq Manzil, popularly known as Haj House, houses the offices of the Minority Welfare Department as well as the Telangana Urdu Academy, Telangana State Haj Committee, Telangana Minorities Finance Corporation and Telangana State Wakf Board. The building has also been visited daily by people seeking information and services from these institutions.
According to Telangana Today, visitors have been allowed inside only after thorough verification over the past few days. The change marks a departure from the building’s earlier practice of allowing unrestricted access for decades.
Social activist Mohd Obaidullah criticised the restrictions, saying they were causing inconvenience to people visiting the building for official work. He also questioned the need to restrict public access to government offices operating from the premises.
BRS Minority Cell General Secretary Abdul Muqeet Chanda also opposed the arrangements and criticised the Congress government. He alleged that the installation of grills and the entry restrictions could prevent people from entering the premises, questioning officials and raising issues related to minority welfare institutions.
Chanda said the restrictions amounted to the creation of physical barriers between people and the administration instead of addressing public grievances. His comments were part of the political criticism directed at the government over the access measures.
Wakf activist Syed Ifteqar Hussaini expressed concern about the inconvenience faced by people approaching the different offices located in the building. He said Muslim leaders should be focusing on education, employment, scholarships, fee reimbursement, welfare schemes and economic empowerment rather than having to seek access to the premises.
An official of the Minority Welfare Department said the decision to regulate entry was taken after untoward incidents, including protests inside the building. According to the official, those incidents raised security and safety concerns for employees and officials working there.
The competing positions place the building at the intersection of two routine administrative needs: maintaining security for government offices and ensuring that citizens can approach public institutions without unnecessary difficulty. The department’s stated reason for the restrictions is the safety of staff and officials, while the critics’ objection centres on access to services and the ability to raise grievances.
The report did not specify how long the verification arrangements would remain in place or whether the department had announced a revised visitor procedure for people seeking services from the offices housed at Razaaq Manzil.
