Hyderabad: Old City Switches Off Lights: Hyderabad’s old city saw a new kind of protest on Wednesday evening. As residents and shopkeepers turned off the lights for 15 minutes. It was a symbolic protest as a part of the ‘Batti Gul’ protest by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) against the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Act. The protest was an effort to raise concerns about how the legislation would affect Waqf properties.
Between 9 p.m. and 9:15 p.m., some parts of Hyderabad such as Nampally, Mallepally, Toli Chowki, Mehdipatnam, and Golconda faced power cuts. Shopkeepers stopped their business activities to participate in the protest in a gesture of solidarity with the movement. The reaction was not confined to Hyderabad; the same was witnessed elsewhere in Telangana and Karnataka.
Affecting leaders such as AIMIM president and MP Hyderabad Asaduddin Owaisi also took part actively in the protest. Owaisi turned off the lights of his house at Shastripuram and asked the masses to join the movement. When talking to media, he addressed the protest as “huge success” and congratulated participants on their spontaneous gesture.
The Waqf (Amendment) Act has been criticized on the grounds that it may destabilize Waqf properties like mosques, graveyards, and other religious centers. Owaisi labeled the bill “unconstitutional,” citing violation of Articles 14, 15, 25, 26, and 29 of the Indian Constitution. He accused the Act of trying to confiscate Waqf properties, creating widespread outrage.
AIMPLB announced additional protests, in the nature of round-table conferences and human chains. To continue making the issue more well known. Owaisi added that until and unless the movement was shut down by the cancellation of the Act by the government, it wouldn’t subside. Owaisi also spoke against the latest terror attack in Pahalgam, restating the imperative of national sovereignty and oneness.
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The ‘Batti Gul’ agitation in Hyderabad was a textbook example of how collective action can be the key to raising issues regarding legislative amendments. As the movement picks up steam, it will be interesting to see the response of the government to the increasing opposition to the Waqf (Amendment) Act.
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