An attempt to turn an open space under Tolichowki flyover as ‘Shaheen Bagh’ of Hyderabad was nipped in the bud early morning on Monday. A group of women and a few men initiated a flash protest under the flyover on Sunday night. The women who convened there said that they were inspired by the women in Shaheen Bagh (Delhi) who were protesting against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Registry of Citizens (NRC), and National Population Register (NPR).
Though more people gathered, the protest got dissolved at around 4 a.m. as police detained 61 persons (all men). Permission was not granted to hold the protest. They were let off on Monday morning after issuing notices under CrPC Section 41 (A). Women were not detained as it was night. One of the protesters, Syed Jalaluddin, said that out of four places in the city, they chose Tolichowki for the protest. The decision was taken on Sunday evening and messages were circulated on Whatsapp inviting people to join the protest under the flyover. The agitation started at around 9 p.m.
“When women constables started to detain women protesters at around 11.50 p.m., people living in and around Tolichowki started to gather. They formed a human chain around the protesters,” said Zaid Najeeb, who was trying to pacify people under the flyover. In the middle of the night, a group of close to 20 women sat down close to each other. Women constables stood beside them and male protesters encircled all of them in an attempt to stop detention by police. Joint Commissioner of Police (West Zone) A.R. Srinivas and others were present at the site.
“We are Indian citizens and we can convene at any place, whenever we want to. Our plan is to make a place as ‘Shaheen Bagh’ in Hyderabad. CAA, NRC are unconstitutional, they have to be rolled back. We will not take a step back from protesting,” said Syeda Sheemah, who was one of the women protesting under the flyover. An activist, Shiba, said on Sunday midnight that they plan to stage indefinite protest, but are under extreme pressure to end it.
While women continued to stage a sit-in, men stayed put around them. Additionally, a few more people gathered on the flyover. Police started to arrest the men at around 4 a.m. Golconda Police inspector K Chandra Shekar Reddy said that they detained 61 people.
Cases under IPS Sections 143, 341, 290, read with 149 of IPC, and 21/76 of Hyderabad City Police Act were registered against Khaled Parveen, one of the protesters, and others. All those who were detained were let off after notices were served under Section 41 A of CrPC. Golconda Police said that they would serve notices on women protesters too.
