Tension prevailed in parts of the old city of Hyderabad on Sunday with rumours doing the rounds that the Bhagyalakshmi temple management was taking up expansion works in violation of high court orders.
All roads leading to Charminar were closed by security forces and markets were shut down to avoid communal flare ups as reports of a few violent incidents came in from different parts of the old city.
The temple management, meanwhile, clarified that they had only taken up some decorating work ahead of Diwali.
A large contingent of security forces, including RAF and CRPF, was deployed at the spot and areas like Hussaini Alam, Moghalpura, Talab Katta, Moosa Bowli, Hari Bowli, Sha Ali Banda and Chandrayangutta rema-ined tense as miscreants attacked public and private properties. Several vehicles including RTC buses and shops were damaged and a few people were also injured.
Trouble started when five MIM MLAs and party workers led by Mr Akbaruddin Owaisi and Mr Ahmed Pasha Quadri took out a rally towards Charminar alleging that the police was facilitating the temple committee to continue with the illegal expansion work.
The police stopped the rally at the Moghalpura fire station and arrested the MLAs, Mr Akberuddin Owaisi, Mr Ahmed Balala, Mr Ahmed Pasha Qadri, Mr Moazam Khan, and Ms Mumtaz Khan. They were transferred to the Bolaram police station.
Two other MLAs, Mr Virasat Rasool Khan and Mr Muqteda Afsar Khan, and MIM MLC Mr Altaf Hyder Rizvi were also arrested later when they were proceeding towards Charminar from Gulzar House.
Meanwhile, the Bhagyalakshmi temple committee finished renovation works for Deepavali under tight police security on Sunday morning. The roof of the temple was covered with tarpaulin.
The police barricaded all the roads and restricted movement of the general public in the area. All surrounding markets were closed and the monument’s premises were filled with security forces.
While the MIM leaders alleged that the temple committee and police were violating the October 30 High Court order to maintain status quo by carrying out the expansion work, the temple committee members said they were merely decorating the structure for Diwali.
South Zone Deputy Commissioner of Police Akun Shabarwal said that the cops under him had booked nine cases in connection with the violence. “We have arrested the MIM leaders as a preventive measure. Apart from that the South zone police have arrested a total of 13 people in connection with violence so far,” Mr Shabarwal said.
Besides this police in the four zones booked 18 cases and arrested 119 people, including 10 MIM Corporators, on preventive measures.
Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma later said that that the situation in the Old City was peaceful and under control.