All India Majlis-e Ittihad al-Muslimin MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi was among those arrested on Sunday near Charminar, in a protest over the issue of the expansion of the
Bhagyalakshmi Temple.
Owaisi was part of a gathering of Muslim leaders who had turned up at the Charminar area to protest the expansion of the temple. They allege that construction work on expanding the temple is going on despite the court having ordered status quo on the matter.
Five MIM leaders were arrested during the protest, and taken to the Bolarum police station.
Condeming the arrest, Akbaruddin Owaisi's elder brother, Asaduddin Owaisi, demanded the release of the MIM legislators. Speaking at a press conference, he said, "We can keep quiet upto a limit... Maybe Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy thinks we just talk and do nothing... If he thinks he can settle matters using the police, he is wrong.... We will take a decision on this tomorrow."
Meanwhile, Charminar was fortified by elaborate security measures in the wake of the festive season. Rapid Action Force personnel, barbed wire and police presence currently characterize the area arond the historic monument.