Telangana police okay Amit Shah’s CAA rally
Protesters accuse police of bias; Switch-off lights protest draws police’s ire.
Hyderabad: Union home minister Amit Shah’s pro-CAA rally will take place on March 15 at Fateh Maidan in the city. His is one of the rallies for which the Telangana police have granted permission, while denying permission to a host of peaceful anti-CAA protests, raising questions.
Mr Shah will be in Hyderabad for two days from March 14. His party’s state unit has been trying to convince supporters in the minority community about CAA but without success.
Mr Shah’s visit thus aims to bring to the fore those Muslim leaders that are a part of the BJP and who have been supporting the CAA. Sources say there will be many people from the districts, especially Karimnagar, that will be brought for the rally.
The announcement on social media of his visit has upset anti-CAA protesters who question how the TS police granted permission. “On what basis are the police granting permission to those who are ‘politically affiliated’?” they ask.
The peaceful ‘common protesters’ are not being allowed, creating anger and acrimony. Some are contemplating observing March 15 as a “black day” while others are contemplating a bandh.
The city’s women’s groups are also contemplating an anti-CAA rally the same day. A senior protester said: “We are going to submit a representation to the police for a protest on the same day. We want to see if the police will give us permission.”
Joint Action Committee against CAA convenor Mushtaq Malik said: “It is not understood on what basis the police is giving permission. They are not allowing peaceful protesters who are common people. But allowing all those who are ‘high and mighty’? How can the law be used in this fashion?”
Protesters who are switching off their lights every evening for the past ten days, from 7 pm to 7.15 pm, were warned by the Mir Chowk police that their power connections would be disrupted. “We had to tell the police that shutting down of power voluntarily is not a law and order issue. This is the way it tries to crush a peaceful protest,” Mr Malik said.