Shutdown, protests mark Babri demolition anniversary in Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Dec 6: A shutdown, protests and meetings marked the 22nd anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid, which passed off peacefully Saturday in Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. A shutdown was observed in parts of Hyderabad on a call given by some Muslim groups to demand reconstruction of the demolished mosque at its original site in Ayodhya. Shops, business establishments and educational institutions were closed and vehicles were off the roads in the old city and other Muslim-majority areas as police stepped up security to prevent any untoward incident. The usual hustle bustle around historic Charminar was missing while the roads in the centuries-old markets wore a deserted look. Shops downed the shutters in response to the shutdown call given by the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) and other groups. Over 5,000 policemen and personnel from paramilitary forces were deployed in different parts of the city. Police have banned rallies, meetings, rallies, processions and dharnas in the limits of both Hyderabad and Cyerabad police commissionerates to maintain peace and harmony. Hyderabad Police Commissioner M. Mahender Reddy said the orders were issued in view of reliable information that certain groups are trying to create disturbances affecting public peace and order and inciting communal animosity between different communities. A delegation of MBT leaders led by its president Khayam Khan met Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan at Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum. Later talking to reporters, Khan said justice can be done to Indian Muslims only with the reconstruction of the demolished mosque. A shutdown was observed in Nampally, Mehdipatnam, Asif Nagar, Toli Chowki, Golconda and other areas of the city. Muslims also participated in the shutdown in Nalgonda, Mahbubnagar, Nizamabad, Adilabad, Karimnagar, Warangal and other towns in Telangana and also in parts of neighboring Andhra Pradesh. Police had sounded the alert across the state in view of the shutdown call.