Black Day passes off peacefully

Babri anniversary

Cops foil attempt by youths to take out a rally to protest against the demolition of 16th century shrine

Hyderabad: The bandh call given by All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and other local outfits on the 23rd anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition on Sunday passed off peacefully without any untoward incident reported in the city, according to the police. The AIMIM and other local organisations had asked the people to observe the day as ‘Black Day’. An AIMIM spokesperson, claiming the bandh as ‘successful’, said shopkeepers ‘voluntarily’ shut their shops in the old city and in some other parts of the city.

He said none of his party workers was arrested or taken into preventive custody by the police. Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and order), Anjani Kumar said no untoward incident was reported during the day. The police imposed Section 144 of CrPC (banning assembly of four or more persons in an area) across the city. Beside the City Police, Rapid Action Force companies and Telangana State Special Police platoons were also deployed across the city in view of the sensitivity of the issue.

Police pickets were set up in all sensitive areas in the city, the police said. Meanwhile, an attempt by some youths to take out a rally to mark the 23rd anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition was foiled by police on Sunday. A few youths came out of a mosque in the afternoon raising slogans demanding reconstruction of the 16th century mosque that was razed on this day in 1992 in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.

Members of Darasgah Jihad-o-Shadat (DJS) tried to march from the mosque in Darulshifa area in Old City. But police arrested them for violating ban orders. The situation in the city was peaceful amid a call for a shutdown given by some Muslim groups and plans by others to celebrate ‘Vijay Diwas’. Shops and businesses were closed in some parts of the Old City. Black flags were hoisted in Muslim-majority areas.