Photo from Deccan Chronicle
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From The Times of India
Charminar turns 'hot'spot
By Rahul Devulapalli, TNN | Nov 12, 2012, 01.51 AM IST
HYDERABAD: The historic Charminar, which usually comes alive on Sundays with a large number of local and foreign tourists and hawkers thronging the place, resembled a war zone with policemen in riot gear standing guard outside barricades.
Caught completely unaware, the police sprung into action on Sunday morning when they saw a tarpaulin cover on the roof of Bhagyalakshmi temple at Charminar. Immediately, troops arrived in the area there and bundled out all hawkers, forced down shutters, blocked roads and picked up several people as part of preventive arrest.
Locals, who had planned a stroll on a lazy Sunday morning, were forced to stay indoors, while women and children peered through windows and looked down balconies.
As news spread, some people pelted stones at the police and shouted slogans.
Mohammed Ashraf, a local resident, who wanted to take his daughter to a hospital as she was unwell, ended up cursing authorities. "My child is very ill and I am trying to get her to a hospital. But all routes are either sealed or traffic is being diverted. The police are in no mood to listen to my pleas. Who will take responsibility if something happens to my daughter," Ashraf said.
As sporadic incidents of stone pelting continued more and more policemen arrived and residents anticipating big trouble locked doors and shut windows. Within minutes the entire areas witnessed near bandh like scene.
The business community were the worst affected as Sunday was Dhanteras, an auspicious day for shopping. Many lamented, saying they had big plans to buy some jewellery from local markets around the area.
The unexpected traffic restrictions imposed in major junctions caused a lot of inconvenience to the public and police who got into verbal duel. Angry residents even shouted slogans against the police. "Why is the police force there if they cannot identify and stop mischief mongers? Why should the general public suffer?," said an old man.
"I am trying to go towards the city and for the past half an hour but I am just doing around in circles within the same area," said a motorist.
The Bhagyalakshmi Temple, which is in the midst of the controversy, however kept receiving devotees unmindful of the situation outside. "On any day we receive a minimum of around 1000 devotees but today there were about 50 devotees due to the tension," said P Susheel, a temple committee member, standing guard outside the temple among hordes of policemen.
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Daily News and Analysis
Curfew-like situation in old Hyderabad
Published: Monday, Nov 12, 2012, 22:48 IST
Place: Hyderabad | Agency: IANS
The situation in the old city of Hyderabad continued to be tense Monday with sporadic incidents of stone pelting. A curfew-like situation prevailed around the historic Charminar.
The construction of a canopy over a temple abutting the monument Sunday sparked trouble leading to withdrawal of support by Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) to the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in New Delhi.
The 400-year-old monument and the usually busy markets around it were deserted with armed police barricades visible in the entire area. Residents in localities surrounding the heritage monument were facing severe inconvenience as police prevented them from coming out of their houses.
Policemen and personnel from paramilitary forces remained deployed at Charminar and surrounding areas. The police arrested Hindu religious leader Swami Paripoornananda and some BJP leaders proceeding to Bhagyalakshmi temple abutting Charminar. The Swami was later released and the police escorted him to the temple. Deputy Commissioner of Police Akun Sabharwal said the situation remained peaceful and appealed to people not to believe rumours.
Meanwhile, Road Transport Corporation (RTC) suspended all its bus services, with RTC officials saying that the cancellation of 157 services was done as a precautionary measure. All schools and colleges in the old city declared a holiday.
Trouble broke out in Aghapura area outside the old city when some MIM activists coming out of the party headquarters pelted stones, damaging a few vehicles. Also, the vehicle of a television channel was also targeted, following which police resorted to baton charge and dispersed the mob. The incident took place after MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi addressed a press conference on Monday afternoon. Later, Owaisi came out of the party office and persuaded hundreds of party supporters to return home.
Earlier, on Sunday, MIM legislators were arrested from Charminar after they protested the erection of a canopy on the temple structure, which they alleged violated the court orders to maintain the status quo at the temple. However, police commissioner Anurag Sharma on Sunday night clarified that the temple committee had been allowed to cover the structure with tarpaulin sheets after Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) said the structure had the covers as on October 30.
