Black Day: Old City shuts down over Babri Masjid demolition anniversary

Hyderabad: The city remained peaceful on Friday, as it marked the demolition of Babri Masjid 32 years ago. At some places in the Old city, shops and business establishments downed shutters voluntarily after certain organisations called for observing ‘Black Day’ to mark the anniversary.

Shops and commercial establishments were shut in areas including Charminar, Lad Bazar, Chowk, Yakutpura, Mahboob Gunj, Ghansi Bazaar, Afzal Gunj and other areas, while there was a thin traffic movement in those areas. Moreover, Police forces were deployed at sensitive places in the city in view of recent communal incidents. City police beefed up security near Mecca Masjid, Charminar and other places in the Old City. As it was Friday, the Rapid Action Force, special police, quick response team, task force, city armed reserve, and local police were deployed to tighten the security, with senior police officials monitoring the situation. The AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has said that December 6 will forever remain a Black Day for Indian democracy. Hyderabad MP tweeted “We lost one Babri Masjid, now we will never lose another masjid.”

In another tweet Asad Owaisi posted a video clip of his old speech “Humari ladhayi zameen ki nahi balke kanoni adhikar ki hai. Hume bheek me koi cheez nahi chahiye, humara jo haq hai hume dedo” (Our fight is not for land but for legal rights. We do not want anything in alms, give us what is our right).

Women and girls gathered at Saidabad and held special prayers at Ujale Shah Eidgah. Scores of Muslim women came to attend the prayer gathering which was held on Tuesday. They offered congregational prayers Qunoot-e-Naazilah, a prayer in Islamic tradition made during a crisis or in the face of oppression. The women said the coming generations will continue remembering Babri Masjid. They said that once a mosque is built at a place it remains a mosque for eternity.