Not scared of cases, says Hyderabad Million March JAC  

The organisers of 'Million March' held in Hyderabad on January 4 to protest against the CAA, NRC and NPR have said that they are not scared of the cases filed against them by the Hyderabad police.

"We are not scared of these cases. We will fight them legally," Joint Action Committee (JAC) convenor Mushtaq Malik said on Thursday.

Police filed 25 cases against Malik and other organisers in various police stations in the city for allegedly violating the conditions laid down by the police while granting permission for the 'Million March'.

Thousands of people had attended the 'Million March' against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR) at Dharna Chowk in the heart of the city. The massive turnout had led to a traffic jam on major roads around the venue for over three hours.

While police said the permission was given for gathering of only 1,000 people, JAC, which comprises 40 organisations, said permission was granted for the 'Million March'.

"Million does not mean 1,000," said Malik.

He alleged that there is political pressure behind the police cases, but, however, did not elaborate.

The JAC convenor said the cases were filed despite the fact that it was a totally peaceful protest. He demanded that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government to withdraw the cases.

Malik and other organisers were booked for unlawful assembly, disobedience of an order by a public servant and wrongful restraint. Police have also initiated further action in the case by issuing notices to the accused under Section 41 (A) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, directing them to appear before the police.

The JAC leader said a team of lawyers was working to fight the cases.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), an ally of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), was not part of the march. It is organising a rally on Friday on the city outskirts as its leader and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi said they were not given permission for the rally in the city.