By TCN Staff Reporter,
Congress Govt. is expanding illegal temple to please Sanghparivar: Assaduddin Owaisi
Hyderabad: ‘Curfew’ like situation prevails in old Hyderabad after the news of arrest of Majlis-e-Itehadul-Muslimeen leaders, who were trying to inspect the Charminar, spread.
MIM leaders had gone on inspection over alleged expansion of Bhagya Lakshmi Mandir.
The controversial Bhagya Lakshmi Mandir, adjacent to the Charminar was allegedly expanded as part of decoration work before Deepavali.
MIM MLAs, along with party floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi, when they tried to head towards Charminar for inspection was stopped at Mughalpura area and was taken into preventive detention along with four other MLAs.
Akbaruddin Owasi had a brief argument with police over their alleged ‘bias’ approach and accused them of allowing fresh construction despite AP High court order.
TCN has learnt that so far seven MIM leaders, including Akbaruddin Owaisi, another MLC, and eight municipal councilors, besides some other leaders have been detained from different parts of the old city.
Police has imposed section 144 in the old city after the incident.
Police has rounded several streets of old city and forced the business to be close down. Barricades are put around the entrance of many localities at Charminar. Residents of old city are complaining about police excess in the name of section 144.
City Police is determined to not take any opportunity before Depavali and a Maha Aarti planned at controversial Mandir by right wing Hindu groups on Monday.
Clashes in old city:
Police has retorted to lathi-charge and firing tear gas shells at different parts of old city after the protesters were out on streets protesting against the arrest of MIM leaders and alleged illegal expansion of Bhagya Lakshmi temple.
In the wee hours of the morning controversial Bhagya Lakshmi temple was expanded even after the stay order from the High court disallowing any further construction of the illegal temple adjacent to Charminar.
When MIM MLAs along with Akbaruddin Owaisi was taken into custody, MIM activists were all round the city protesting against the arrests.
Stone pelting incidents are reported in several parts of old city, even as police has imposed section 144, the atmosphere is changed into a curfew like situation.
Nearly all the MIM elected representatives, except its president, are now taken into preventive custody at different police stations in the outskirts of Hyderabad.
‘Congress government trying to please Sangh Parivar’ alleges MIM President:
“Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N. Kiran Kumar Reddy has shattered the High Court order of status quo on illegal Mandir structure in order to please Sanghparivar,” charged Majlis-e-Itehadul-Muslimeen president Assaduddin Owaisi in a press conference at MIM headquarter at Darulsalam.
Owaisi, along with MLC Syed Jaffari are the only two elected representatives of the MIM, who have not been arrested so far.
In the press conference Hyderabad MP claimed that commissioner of police and Hyderabad district collector were contacting him since last night to make an out of court settlement as the expansion of mandir was eminent .
Owaisi also lambasted the ASI officials for aiding the temple authorities in expanding the illegal structure.
He also claimed that mobile network connections of arrested MIM elected representatives are censored down by the police. “If we were to be involved in street protests, we would have done it earlier, but we went to the judiciary to settle the dispute. Now police and the Govt. are not respecting the orders of the High court, said MIM president.
Owaisi also made it clear that now MIM will rethink over supporting the Congress government in the state and at the center. “For long we have been warning state Congress government of the repercussion of their anti-secular politics, they has taken us lightly now it’s time to decide whether to remain ally of congress both at state and the center,” he said.
He also informed that party’s council meeting has been called at Monday morning to take a final call.
Owaisi also said that today’s events at Hyderabad, orchestrated by Congress Party have reminded him the days of December 1992 at Ayodhya.
MIM president at the end of his press conference appealed to the Muslims of Hyderabad to maintain peace and not to take law and order in their hands.
Meanwhile, according to latest reports, all the MIM leaders have been released from the Bolaram police station.
Related story:
Charminar, once an icon of Hyderabadi pride, now a combat ground of religious dominance