HYDERABAD: Demolition of a temple on the busy Koti Road sparked off large-scale violence what with scores of BJP and VHP activists setting ablaze an RTC bus and a van besides damaging nearly 23 buses on Friday. A youth was also stabbed in Sultan Bazar locality which escalated tension.
The angry protestors blocked traffic for several hours which affected the movement of vehicles at several junctions in the city. The police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the agitators. It all began around 1.45 am, when the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation officials started demolishing the Nalla Pochamma temple abutting the Koti bus stand. Within minutes, the wall around the temple was demolished.
As the word spread, locals gathered at the site and forced the GHMC officials to stop the work. The GHMC officials left the place. By 9.30 am, over 1,000 BJP and VHP workers gathered outside the place of worship and began raising slogans. Later, senior officials from the GHMC reached the area and assured the protestors that the wall would be restored.
However, the agitators seemed to be in no mood to listen to the GHMC officials and started attacking RTC buses passing by and set on fire an RTC bus and a jeep. Police resorted to mild lathicharge to disperse the mob.
Business establishments closed voluntarily and soon the protests spread to other places in the city. Even as the police were trying to take control of the situation, a bus passenger, Syed Ibrahim of Lal Darwaza, was stabbed at Sultan Bazar. His condition was said to be stable.
Later, two officials of the GHMC were suspended. Even as the GHMC was resuming the construction work, the temple committee insisted that they would allow construction only after consecrating the temple as per rituals. The Sultan Bazar police registered a case against four staffers of the GHMC for demolishing the temple.