Hyderabad police foil Shaheen Bagh-like protest

Hyderabad: The attempt by a group of women to stage Shaheen Bagh-like protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was foiled by the Hyderabad Police in the early hours of Friday.

Tension prevailed in the Moghalpura area near the historic Charminar when police detained a few slogans-shouting youth protesting against the police 'excesses'.

The protest, which started Thursday evening continued till 4 a.m. A few burka-clad women, including activists led by Khaleda Parveen began the sit-in under a specially erected tent at a private premises.

As the word spread, more women, including students and housewives joined the protest. They were demanding revocation of the CAA and opposed the NPR and the NRC.

Senior police officials led by in-charge Deputy Commissioner of Police (South Zone) Avinash Mohanty reached the spot and asked the organisers to end the protest. However, they raised an objection to police interference in the protest in a private place.

Some women activists seen pleading the police official to allow them to continue the peaceful and silent protest. They said the presence of police personnel in large numbers was creating tension.

When police stopped women from reaching the protest venue, some youth came out on the streets in the adjoining lanes, raising slogans against the police.

The standoff continued till the early hours of the day. A few protesters were briefly detained by the police.

The organisers alleged that the police brought pressure on the owner of the private premises to make the protesters vacate the place.

The city has seen a series of flash protest by women during the last few days. The activists have been stressing the need to stage continuous protest on the lines of Shaheen Bagh in Delhi and other places in Uttar Pradesh.