HYDERABAD: Protests broke out on Friday against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens in Hyderabad, soon after the noon prayers at Mecca Masjid near Charminar, resulting in preventive detention of around 14 persons. Immediately after the prayers, more than a thousand people came onto the streets and started raising slogans against the CAA, NRC and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The protests did not turn violent and the protesters later dispersed peacefully.
As the protesters congregated in a large number outside the Mecca Masjid and started moving towards Charminar, the police personnel in riot gear, formed a barricade and pushed back the protesters and prevented them from marching ahead. As the struggle between the police and protesters continued for a while, around 14 protesters were taken under preventive custody by the police. Following this, some protesters made their way towards Shalibanda and later dispersed peacefully. Those taken under preventive custody were let out later by the police.
Keeping in mind the ongoing protests in Hyderabad and across the country against the CAA and NAR, moreover it being a Friday, the police had already deployed a large number of personnel in and around Charminar, including the deployment of Rapid Action Force, to keep the situation under control and prevent any untoward incident.
Protests were also conducted outside other mosques in the city, including at Humayun Nagar near Mehdipatnam, at Amberpet and Banjara Hills. Silent protests were conducted at Basheerbagh and outside the Qutb Shahi tombs, as protesters displayed placards against the CAA and NRC. Need for strong opposition to CAA but peacefully: OwaisiAt a meeting of the United Muslim Action Committee which saw participation by various Muslim organizations to discuss a strategy against the CAA and NRC, convened at the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) office in Darussalam on Friday, Owaisi said that he is mulling of organizing more protests against the CAA and NRC across Telangana but stressed on the need for protesting peacefully.
He also slammed Muslim clerics who commented in support of the CAA. Owaisi said, “We have to oppose this act strongly, but only after taking police permission and peacefully. In Lucknow and Delhi, there was police brutality and violence; in Mangaluru, two Muslims died. If there is violence then we will condemn and disassociate ourselves from it”.
MANUU students protest
Even as the students of Urdu University continued their protest on Friday, Chancellor of the University Firoz Bakht Ahmed wrote an open letter to the Muslims of the country, stating that the CAA and NRC were not against the Muslims. Condemning the letter, students union president, Umar Faruq Quadri said that the protests will continue till the government rolls back the CAA.
Cops foil dharna
Khammam: Tension prevailed for some time at Pavilion grounds and the Collector’s office in the district on Friday when the Left parties, Congress and Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) party leaders and workers tried to stage dharna and enter the collector’s office. The police however, took them into custody. The parties and leaders gathered at the pavilion grounds but were later obstructed by the police officers. Addressing the mediapersons, CPM district secretary Nunna Nageswara Rao alleged that the BJP government was trying to break the social fabric. India is a diverse country, and belongs to people of all religions.”