People from all walks of life and in large numbers converged at different places across the city to raise their voice against the National Register of Citizenship and Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 on Thursday.
As protesters were making their way to protest venues, police, however, resorted to a string of preventive detentions.
At around 9.30 am, approximately 75 students of the University of Hyderabad were detained as they were on their way to a public meeting at the Exhibition Grounds, Nampally. Cyberabad Police intercepted them at the varsity gates and bundled them into a bus. They were taken to the Moinabad police Station on the outskirts of the city.
Despite their detention, students turned the police station into a site of protest. They raised slogans and began reading portions of the Constitution.
“We have the constitutional right to democratically protest when there is an attack on the Constitution. This attack is happening under the leadership of Amit Shah and Narendra Modi. The country is moving towards a police raj where people cannot even register their protest," Student Union President Abhisekh Nandan, who too was detained, said.
Security was beefed up in and around Moazzam Jahi Market and surrounding areas and scores of people who were on their way to attend a public meeting called by Left parties, SC and ST groups and minorities organisations, at the Exhibition Grounds in Nampally, too, were detained.
Speaking to The Hindu , Hyderabad City Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar said that over 300 protesters were detained.
Moments after he arrived, Jamaat-e-Islami Telangana Odisha president Hamed Mohammed Khan was detained. Communist Party of India leaders K Narayana, Syed Azeez Pasha, Chada Venkat Reddy and Telangana Jana Samithi chief M Kodandaram were detained. A section of the crowd raised slogans against the ‘high-handed’ attitude of the police.
P Vishwa Prasad, Joint Commissioner of Police said that permission was not granted for the public meeting at the Exhibition Grounds. He also claimed that protesters intended to embark on a rally on routes which were not notified for protests.
In the old city, near Charminar, around 50 people who had gathered to protest against the NRC and CAA were detained. According to Avinash Mohanty, in-charge Deputy Commissioner of Police, South Zone, several persons were ‘counselled’ and sent back. However, those who stayed were detained. He urged citizens not to give in to messages circulating on social media as permission for protests has not been given.
Girl students and staff of the Anwar-ul-Uloom College at Mallepally too protested against NRC and CAA. They carried banners and raised slogans. They too were detained. Sources said they were whisked away to the Ramgopalpet police station.
