Won't Allow Shaheen Bagh-like Stir in Hyderabad, Says City's Police Commissioner

Amid continuing anti-CAA protests in parts of the country, Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar on Saturday said no stir similar to what happened in New Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh would be allowed in the city.

Kumar also requested the political parties and others to apply for permission as per proper procedure for holding protests in the city.

"There is no Shaheen Bagh like incident in Hyderabad. Do not compare Hyderabad with places where all these negative things are happening. Nothing like Shaheen Bagh will be allowed in Hyderabad. It is impossible," Anjani Kumar told reporters.

“The Hyderabad Police will take legal action if common public is put to inconvenience,” he reiterated.

“Political protests are important but law and order is more important,” Kumar said, adding, “Hyderabad city has seen more than 200 protests/rallies (anti-Citizenship Amendment Act and also pro-CAA). During such protests at other places in the country, there have been burning of vehicles, firing, people sitting for a month on



dharna, but in Hyderabad such things are not happening,” he added.

“It is only because Hyderabad Police are concerned about safety, security and comfort of common public.”

"...At every place if you want to sit on dharna then it will cause inconvenience to common public and hence we have taken legal action and booked cases pertaining to some places where the protests were held," Kumar said.

"If there is a denial (for permission for holding protests) there are reasons. Some vested interests have approached courts and the court has given guidelines and that is are supreme.”

Whatever conditions we are putting it is as per judgment of High Court," the police chief said.

At Shaheen Bagh, protesters have been on a sit-in against the new citizenship law for over two months.

Protests have also been organised in different parts of the city by different organisations including political parties against the CAA, National Register of Citizens and National Population Register.