Hyderabad: All India Majlis e Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi expressed his unhappiness over the police forcing the fuel station owners to shut their establishments on Saturday night, the eve of Milad un Nabi in the city.
During his speech at a public meeting at Darussalam – the AIMIM party headquarters – the Hyderabad MP said “please cooperate with the police, irrespective of the fact that police shut down all fuel stations in the city. Why did they do so I don’t know?”
He further said, “I did not understand why only during the festive occasion ‘Milad un Nabi’, the fuel stations are closed and why not during this other festivals. Close the fuel stations on all festivals and I will not complain. By closing the fuel stations on the 11th of Rabi ul Awwal, what message are you delivering to the citizens of Hyderabad? Is it that the police want to convey they have a problem with this festival? It is a wrong decision?” he said.
On Saturday night fuel stations in the city were shut down in the city at 11 pm leading to chaos and protest.
Commotion prevailed at Chaderghat after people protested against the closure of petrol bunks on Saturday night.
Around 11 pm, police patrolling vehicles asked fuel station management to shut the stations. Adhering to the direction fuel stations closed down the bunks.
Irked by the closure of bunks people started raising slogans at a petrol bunk at Nalgonda crossroads. To register their protest some sat on the road demanding the bunk be opened and people allowed to refuel vehicle tanks.
The police came to the place and dispersed the public using mild force.
An angry motorist said without prior announcement the police should not be doing it. “There is a word around that due to Milad un Nabi the bunk is shut down. It sends a wrong message to other communities about Muslims,” the man lamented.
All fuel stations in the city were shut down following the directions sent to Station House Officers (SHOs) the same afternoon. The step was taken to prevent rallies taken without permission at night.
Groups of youngsters move around on vehicles as a practice on the intervening night of 11 and 12 Rabi ul Awwal month. In certain incidents, rash driving and triple riding were noticed.
“Police should book cases for violations. For the mistake of a handful, the whole city cannot be punished. I have to deliver orders and now there is no fuel in the vehicle. How should I do my work,” complained a food delivery person on condition of anonymity.
Men along with their families at petrol bunks pleaded with management to provide fuel. Some helpful vehicle owners helped by transferring fuel from their vehicles.
In black, a litre of fuel is sold for Rs 150 a litre at some places, informed sources said.
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