Hyderabad: Even as the police placed its officials in the Old City of Hyderabad on high alert on Thursday evening following the attack on AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi in Uttar Pradesh, workers and leaders from the AIMIM began enforcing a bandh, asking shopkeepers to shutter their establishments.
MIM members were seen going around Charminar, Alijah Kotla, Moghalpura, Falaknuma, Madina, Pathergatti, Gulzar Houz, and Lad Bazaar areas asking shopkeepers to close down their outlets. According to the police, hawkers and shopkeepers, particularly around Charminar, are allowed to stay open till 1 am, as the area attracts late night visitors.
While special prayers were held at all the mosques, black flags were seen all over Old City especially around Charminar area.
“While some have closed down on their own, several others were asked to down their shutters by local MIM leaders to do so,” a police official said.
The situation was peaceful, police officials said.
Meanwhile, the city police went on high alert with additional forces deployed in the Old City.
Officials from the South Zone police of Hyderabad said that they have deployed more personnel in certain sensitive areas of the Old City. Sources said the police teams will be keeping an eye for untoward incidents.
The West Zone police of Hyderabad, which covers the AIMIM office, have teams on high alert following the incident.
