By IRNA,
New Delhi : Shops and educational institutions were shut and roads wore a deserted look on Saturday in the old city of Hyderabad as a day-long shutdown was observed amid tight security to mark the 16th anniversary of the demolition of Babri Mosque.
Several Muslim political and religious organizations have called for observing a “Black Day” to protest the demolition of the mosque in Ayodhya Dec 6, 1992.
The strike is total in the old city as black flags were put up on roof tops and on streets. The usual hustle-bustle around the historic Charminar and Mecca Masjid was missing. There were very few vehicles on the roads, while the bangles and bridal wear market Laad Bazar, hotels, jewellery and pearl shops, and the cloth market were shut.
An unprecedented security cover was thrown around the old city and other sensitive areas to prevent any untoward incident. Police banned meetings and rallies and imposed prohibitory orders across the city.
More than 15,000 police personnel including those from the paramilitary Rapid Action Force (RAF) have been deployed to deal with any eventuality. A large number of them were deployed in the communally sensitive old city, which has witnessed violence on this day in the past, IANS reported.
Muslims constitute 40 percent of the city’s seven million population and they are an overwhelming majority in the old city.
Police have made tight security arrangements near the historic Mecca Masjid to prevent any group from taking out processions. Though such arrangements are made every year, the police are extra cautious this time in the wake of the terror attacks in Mumbai and also Wednesday’s incident in the city in which four terror suspects escaped after opening fire, injuring two policemen.
Police refused permission to any group to organise rallies anywhere in the city. DJS is the only organisation that has been holding a rally every year at Indira Park, outside the old city. DJS was not given permission this time as pressure is mounting on the police to act tough against the outfit, which is accused of breeding terror.
The Babri Mosque or Mosque of Babur was constructed by order of the first Mughal emperor of India, Babur, in Ayodhya, a city of Uttar Pradesh in the 16th century.
It was demolished by 150,000 fanatic Hindus during a planned ceremony on December 6, 1992 despite a commitment to the Indian Supreme Court that the mosque would not be harmed.
Since then Muslims are observing “Black Day” on 6th of December every year.
More than 2000 people, were killed in the ensuing riots following the demolition. Riots broke out in many major Indian cities including Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad.