Protests held after Friday prayers against Citizenship Amendment Act, NRC

Charminar: After the Friday prayers were offered, sloganeering and chants against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the Modi government rent the air in different parts of the Old City.

At Charminar, fully geared policemen were ready to counter any untoward incident. A group of youth holding placards and raising chants came out of the Mecca Masjid attracting the attention of hundreds of devout, some of whom also became part of the protest.

The youth held placards which highlighted 'Ganga Jamuna Tehazeeb of Telangana, Hindu Muslim Bhai Bhai' and 'Our Demand is KCR should announce no NRC in Telangana.'

When they tried to take out a rally from the historic mosque, the police began taking into custody one by one and dispersed the onlookers which had gathered around the protesters. Some of them were rounded up by men both in uniform and mufti and police assured to release them later.

The protesting students some of whom were studying engineering held that they were protesting to save the Indian Constitution and were demanding rollback of CAA as it was discriminatory in nature. They alleged that the Act was against the ethos of Constitution and completely devoid of the vision of the forefathers who fought for Independent India.

Police officials argued that as the youth did not have any permission for taking out a rally, they were blocked and the situation was brought under control after some of them were taken into custody.

Meanwhile, at other places, Shia leaders took out procession holding placards and resorted to sloganeering. In other places like Tolichowki residents of Brindavan, Paramount and other nearby colonies took out protest rally demanding scrapping of CAA.

At Mallepally TPCC Minorities Department Chairman Shaik Abdullah Sohail led a protest at Jama Masjid, Mallepally after Friday prayers. He said that the Congress party would register its protest against CAA and NRC by organising massive protest at Dharna Chowk, Indira Park, on Saturday from 10 am onwards, in which top party leaders including Telangana in charge R C Khuntia, TPCC President & MP N Uttam Kumar Reddy and other senior leaders of Congress party would participate.

During Friday's protest Congress leaders including TPCC spokesperson Syed Nizamuddin, TPCC general secretary Faheem and Hyderabad Congress Minorities wing chairman Sameer Waliullah participated.