Hyderabad: The police foiled attempts by different individuals to take out rallies from Charminar and Exhibition Ground against the Citizens Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) on Thursday.
About 300 protesters, including girl students, were taken into preventive custody from both places. Besides, many others were prevented from reaching the venue, most notably students of the University of Hyderabad. A majority of those taken into custody were girls at Charminar.
Left-wing political parties and organisations had given a call for a rally from Charminar. At Exhibition Ground, several agitators holding placards tried to barge into the state headquarters of the BJP located nearby when police prevented them from taking out a rally. They were taken into custody and shifted to different police stations.
The police had blocked the roads leading to Charminar and a large number of personnel were posted near the monument and at Macca Masjid. Two police buses kept ready to take the agitators away. Those heading towards were frisked.
Teams of Task Force, City Armed Reserved Police, Home Guards and women police were deplo-yed. Security was tightened at the Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy collectorates.
For the first time, students of religious institutions presented themselves for arrest, among them scholars of Al Mahadul Aali Al Islami.
Former MP Syed Aziz Pasha, Jamaat e Islami state president Moulana Hamid Mohammed Khan, Alummam secretary Khal-ida Parveen, AWAAZ pre-sident Prof. Mohammed Ansari and Minroties Rights Protection Commi-ttee members were taken into preventive custody.
In the afternoon, a large group of Muslim tried to take out a rally from Macca Masjid. Hussaini Alam inspector C. Ramesh convinced them to drop the plan as they had no permission.
