Thousands swarm Dharna Chowk against CAA, NRC
HYDERABAD: Waiving the Tricolour, shouting slogans and holding posters and banners, thousands of people hit the streets of Hyderabad on Saturday bringing the city to a grinding halt. It was destination Dharna Chowk near Indira Park for the people to register a vociferous protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).The Million March, organised under the aegis of the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Joint Action Committee against the CAA-NRC-NPR, witnessed a huge crowd from various parts of the city taking part in the march. However, the protest went off peacefully without any untoward incident.
Chowk
People from Old City, Secunderabad, Banjara Hills and other parts of the city walked or travelled in vehicles via Tank Bund to reach the venue. The Dharna Chowk reverberated with slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
As an unprecedented number of people of different age groups and backgrounds marched towards the Dharna Chowk, traffic went haywire. The Telugu Talli flyover was taken over by the protesters, who marched on it holding placards and the national flag.
Police granted permission only for a protest meeting from 2 pm to 5 pm at Dharna Chowk, and not a rally. The permission was given on the condition that not more than 1,000 people would be allowed to gather at Indira Park. With Indira Park overcrowded, people took to the open ground beside it and held demonstrations. Addressing the gathering, MBT spokesperson and member of the anti-CAA JAC Amjed Ullah Khan targeted Modi, Shah and Goshamahal MLA Raja Singh.
“The voices raised at this protest will soon reach New Delhi. If the issue does not figure in the State Assembly, the JAC gherao the CM,’’ Khan said. Mushtaq Malik, convenor of the JAC, said, “Our ulemas fought for the country’s Independence. Don’t threaten us and ask us for certificates,” he said.
Million March brings Hyd to a grinding halt
With anti-CAA and NRC sentiments running among citizens, several people including women, and the elderly also turned up in large numbers. Several students from across the city gave their classes a miss or left early from classes to show up in solidarity. Shop owners downed their shutters and took part in the ‘Million March’ protest. The venue reverberated with slogans by the protestors, who raised the Tricolour high up.