Stone-pelting youth 'too hot' for cops

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, OCT. 12. There was an air of uneasiness. Shutters of some shops were down. Movement of every civilian was viewed with suspicion by cops who themselves were tensed up.

People and vehicular traffic moved hurriedly as if somebody was pushing from behind before the one-hour highly charged up clash between the miscreants and the police unfolded here on Friday at Charminar. If anybody stopped at Charminar, whether to enjoy its majesty or surprised by the presence of a huge number of helmet- wearing and lathi-wielding police, he/she was rather curtly asked to leave the place.

Finally, it happened. Hundreds of youngsters came running onto the road. Within a few minutes, there was a shower of shabad stones. After making vain appeals to stop stone-pelting, the police brought `Vajra', the water canon-carrying vehicle, into action. Even rose-coloured chemical water was propelled on the fierce and violent mobs.

The police were shocked and forced to retreat for a few minutes when tear gas shells fired by them were hurled back by the miscreants as there was a four to eight seconds time gap before tear-jerking smoke emanated from the shells. Finding it difficult to control the mob, some times the police also hurled back the stones. When the police fired rubber bullets, shoutings like "stop firing" were heard.

So frustrated were the police that they had beaten up black and blue everyone they could caught hold of, once they entered inside the mosque. The Charminar MLA, Mr. Asaduddin Owaisi, turned up at the scene at 2.20 p.m. and assured the Police Commissioner, Mr. P. Ramulu, of pacifying the crowds.

Later, speaking to journalists, Mr. Owaisi condemned the marching of the police inside the mosque with footwear. "This is the first time in the history that the police entered the mosque and I myself saw the unfortunate scene of the police walking with shoes", he said.

It resembled a battle field with every inch of the entire 100- yard stretch between the Mecca masjid and Charminar covered with stones pelted by the miscreants. As fears were expressed that stones lying on the road might again become weapons if fresh incidents of violence broke out, the police immediately called in MCH personnel to clear the road of the stones.

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Section  : Southern States
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