MIM legislators played the role of pacifiers
By TCN Staff Reporter,
Hyderabad: Charminar area in Old Hyderabad is tense and police are on tenterhooks, after the recent episode of protests by Muslims with the aid of Majlis-e-Itehadul-Muslimeen against the expansion of controversial Bhagya Lakshmi temple, adjacent to historic Charminar and counter protests by VHP, Bajrang Dal and BJP, has brought down more events of unending communal anxieties.
During the Friday prayers area around Charminar were tense after some miscreants targeted police vehicles and indulge in stone pelting in the narrow lanes.
M.I.M M.L.A’S controlloing the crowd
Already heavy police contingent was deployed to control the edgy situation for a second consecutive day. Friday prayers at Mecca Masjid saw huge congregation of devotees and traditional ‘Harti’ in the noon time at Bhagya Lakshmi temple which was turned into a police fortress, witnessed unprecedented vast rush of devotees on Friday.
Right wing Hindu groups mobilized huge crowd to participate in the ‘Harti’ especially to counter Muslim presence during Friday prayers.
Temple turned into fortress
Police was quick to disperse the crowd both at Mecca Masjid and Bhagya Laskhmi temple after their respective prayers. But a group of miscreants restored to stone pelting damaged a police vehicle and set ablaze a four wheeler.
Rumors mill became active as youth clashed with police. When crowd started gathering around Charminar, even heavy police deployment was seem to be helpless.
Right wing Hindu groups performing harti
Majlis-e-Itehadul-Muslimeen general secretary Ahmed Pasha Quadri, along with senior MLA Mumtaz Ahmed Khan and other MIM leaders rushed to the spot and played the role of pacifiers.
Within half an hour huge crowd which was seem ready for a violent clash was shooed down by MIM legislators and that surprised the police because 48 hours earlier it was MIM which had mobilized series of protest against the temple expansion.
Even as things were getting normal, in the evening one Hindu youth was stabbed in the Shamsheer gung area, this come after two Muslim youths were stabbed on the salargunj road a day earlier, all of them sustained minor injuries. But the situation even after both the stabbing incidents remained calm.
Huge crowd outside the Mandir during Friday prayers
Archeological Survey of India is reportedly planning to register a case against the expansion of Mandir as no construction can be allowed within 100 feet of the historic monument under ASI.
But temple administration are adamant on the enlargement plan even as local police has assured the agitated local Muslims and MIM leaders that no expansion will be allowed without the permission of municipal authorities and Archeological survey of India.