Hyderabad, February 16: The Purana Shahar has been virtually covered by a green blanket. Lakhs of flags and buntings with the white crescent and five-ray star have come up in every nook and corner. Huge cut-outs of a political party are also all over the place. With vendors setting up stalls in every nook and corner, the Old City is all decked up for the Milad-Un-Nabi celebrations on Wednesday, which marks the birth of Prophet Muhammad.
City police have made tight security arrangements for the festival. However, they have chosen to take it easy with regard to putting up of religious flags and buntings, a matter which became a cause for conflict last year. Keeping in view the violence last year, which even led clamping of a curfew, massive bandobust arrangements are in place.
Sources said the main procession which starts from Qadri Chaman in Chatrinaka and culminates in Moghalpura playgrounds will see the participation of nearly 25,000 people, mostly youths. Besides that, 15 smaller rallies will be taken out in different localities. About 34 Muslim organisations have come under the banner of Meher to organise the festival on a grand scale.
Till last year, Milad-Un-Nabi used to be a low key affair with only small rallies being taken out. But with various political parties pitching in, the festival will be celebrated on a grand scale.
“There used to be about 50 to 100 persons in each rally earlier but now the number is expected to be over 25,000,” a police official said adding that earlier even the main procession used to see the participation of not more than 5,000 persons.
About 36 platoons of AP Special Police, City Armed Reserve (CAR) and local police will be deployed for bandobust. Besides, two companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and three companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF) are also being deployed. Pickets are being posted at all sensitive places while policemen will keep an eye on the processions from roof-tops. With regard to putting up of flags, senior police officials said since the situation is normal, they allowed them.
Last year though, officials had categorically said religious flags and buntings will not be allowed.
–Agencies