'Tiranga Rally' against Citizenship Act taken out in Hyderabad

Shops and establishments near Charminar downed shutters in support of the rally organised by the United Muslim Action Committee, comprising various Muslim groups.

Waiving the Tricolour, shouting slogans and holding posters and banners against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), thousands of people hit the streets of Hyderabad on Saturday bringing the city to a grinding halt (Photo | S Senbagapandiyan, EPS) 

HYDERABAD:  The Tiranga Rally organised by the United Muslims’ Action Committee (UMAC) in the city saw over 50,000 people attending it on Friday.

The rally that began at Eidgah Mir Alam culminated at Shastripuram grounds.People from various parts of the city thronged the Mir Alam Tank after Jumma prayers carrying national flags and raised slogans against the Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Several protesters from Rangareddy, Medak and other districts joined the rally, including students from various schools.

The protesters took about an hour to cover the three-km rally route given the large number of people who joined the protest. Along the route, the locals distributed water and other refreshments to the protesters, but many left the rally midway as it lacked proper leadership.Once the rally culminated at Shastripuram grounds, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi and UMAC members addressed the gathering of around 3,000-odd people. 

A stampede-like situation was created when Asaduddin Owaisi and police had to intervene to bring the situation under control.Addressing the protesters, Owaisi thanked them for attending the rally in huge numbers making it a success.

"We request the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw CAA, stay NPR work and make sure that the NRC never gets going," he said. He also took a potshot at the city police whose recent cordon and search operation at a locality in Charminar drew the ire of party MLA Mumtaz Ahmed Khan.