'Firaun e Waqt': Tens of thousands protest against CAA-NRC-NPR in Hyderabad

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'Firaun e Waqt': Tens of thousands protest against CAA-NRC-NPR in Hyderabad

This is perhaps the only event where almost every participant was seen carrying the national flag

Friday January 10, 2020 10:00 PM, ummid.com with inputs from IANS

[This is perhaps the only event where almost every participant was seen carrying the national flag. (Photo: Twitter/@aimim_national)]

Hyderabad: Local Shia cleric accused Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of following the path of Firaun (Fir'awn, also called as Pharaoh) while slamming the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR) in Hyderabad Friday.

"They are Firaun e Waqt - Pharaoh of the day, and mark my words, they will meet the same fate", he said while addressing the Tiranga Rally in Hyderabad Friday.

Pharaoh is the common title of the monarchs of ancient Egypt from the First Dynasty until the annexation of Egypt by the Roman Empire in 30 BCE.

It was a sea of humanity and a wave of national flags at 'Tiranga rally' as lakhs of people took to streets to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Led by All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, protestors marched from historic Mir Alam Eidgah to Shastripuram, covering a distance of about four km.

Largest ever public gathering in Hyderabad

Old timers say this was the largest public gathering the city ever witnessed. This is perhaps the only event where almost every participant was seen carrying the national flag.

Patriotic fervour marked the rally as the sea of tricolour dominated the protest with playing of patriotic songs.

The number of participants outnumbered the protestors at 'Million March' held on January 4. Unlike the 'Million March', which was held in the heart of the city, Friday's rally was taken out on the outskirts.

The rally began after Friday prayers at Eidgah, near Nehru Zoological Park off Hyderabad-Bengaluru national highway.

The Eidgah, which witness prayers only twice a year on the occasion of Eid, witnessed massive gathering as people carrying national flags poured in from various parts of the city.

'Indian by blood not by papers'

After the prayers, thousands of men and women marched from Eidgah holding the national flags and placards with slogans like "We reject CAA", "No NCR, No NPR", and "Indian by blood not by papers".

The Hyderabad humour was on display as many participants came to the rally with placards carrying witty slogans to oppose CAA. They were also raising slogans like "Modi teri tanashahi, nai chalegi, nahi chalegi", "Hamare dada lade they goron se, hum ladenge choron se" and "Hum lekey rahenge Azadi, Gandhi wali Azadi, Nehru wali Azadi".

Dozens of rallies from various parts of the city joined the main march along its route. The participants raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Home Minister Amit Shah.

Selfies with the National Flag

The protestors were also carrying portraits of B. R. Ambedkar and placards with Preamble of the Constitution. Many youngsters were seen stopping enroute to take selfies with the national flag. Some stopped to click pictures with few Hindu religious leaders standing on specially erected platforms to greet the protestors.

Hyderabad Tiranga Rally

["Mr Modi, see this is the Muslim women empowerment," the AIMIM chief said pointing towards large number of burka-clad women. (Photo: Twitter/@aimim_national)]

Leaders and activists of AIMIM and other constitutes of United Muslim Action Committee, the organisers of the rally, religious leaders, students, businessmen, traders, professionals and burka-clad women joined the protest.

When the rally entered Shastripuram, all the streets and lanes were packed with protestors and tricolor was seen everywhere, on top of buildings, on vehicles and in the hands of men, women and children.

Many who could barely walk trekked a hillock to reach the public meeting venue. Others who could not reach stood on the roads to watch and hear the speakers on giant screens.

'Leaders from all faiths'

Hindu, Christian and Sikh religious leaders joined Muslim leaders to address the gathering. Leaders of Dalit groups and human rights organisations also shared the dais.

Owaisi, in his speech, urged the people not to show their documents to those visiting their houses. "If the policemen or somebody from government comes, don't show the papers," he said.

The MP said the massive rally had sent a clear message to Modi government that people reject CAA, NRC and NPR. "Mr Modi, see this is the Muslim women empowerment," the AIMIM chief said pointing towards large number of burka-clad women.

Jamaat-e-Islami's Telangana unit chief Hamid Mohammed Khan said all secular and right-thinking people have to join hands to save this country. He urged Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao to halt National Population Register (NPR) work in the state.

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