Old City "Curfew" Crippling Small Businesses

The unofficial curfew around Charminar has been hitting the economic activity at the area where it hurts the most, i.e. the livelihood of roadside vendors, fruit sellers, and other daily wage earners.

Also adding to the misery of the people is the erratic public transport, with doctors and patients alike finding it diffucult to reach the Unani hospital near Charminar and other govt. hospitals in the area.

The Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, which has broken up with the Congress over the Bhagyalakshmi temple issue that led to the curfew, has named the situation an "economic blockade" that has been allowed to prevail in a deliberate attempt to cripple the Muslim economy. MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi railed against the curfew-like situation becuase of which "autos are not plying and hawkers are not being allowed to sell", thus causing "immense loss to small time traders".

Demanding an end to the "police seige", Mr. Owaisi contacted Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma to seek an immediate relief from restrictions.

The direness of the situation has also come under the radar of the Civil Liberties Monitoring Committe (CLMC) who view it as a violation of human rights, and feel the the police have reduced the Old City area to a police barrack under the pretext of maintaining law and order.