Stones thrown after cow vigilantes stop truck in Hyderabad over smuggling suspicion
Tensions intensified further when the driver attempted to move the vehicle from the spot. It resulted in a heated argument between the two groups first, and then escalated to a physical scuffle.
Communal tension gripped Hyderabad’s Gudimalkapur area after the members of the Gau Raksha Dal (cow vigilante group) stopped a plywood-laden truck on suspicion of cattle smuggling. The incident triggered a violent confrontation late Saturday night.
According to a statement by the police, the Gau Raksha Dal intercepted the vehicle around 12.30 am, thinking that the driver was transporting a herd of cattle. Some members allegedly climbed up to the vehicle and threw plywood sheets on the road, which were stored inside the truck.
Tensions intensified further when the driver attempted to move the vehicle from the spot. It resulted in a heated argument between the two groups first, and then escalated to a physical scuffle. Stones were allegedly pelted during the scuffle.
As per the local police, some police personnel who were present at the spot soon intervened and tried to bring the situation under control. After the initial rounds of scuffling, they calmed the two groups down, a senior police officer said.
Meanwhile, the situation took a political turn when Majid Hussain, an All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MLA-elect from the Nampally assembly seat, soon appeared on the spot. He lashed out at the Gau Raksha Dal and also criticised the state administration, as the local police allegedly stayed silent during the incident.
“I don’t know whether the Gau Rakshaks can see properly. The truck was filled with plywood; however, they claimed that cattle were transported illegally by the vehicle. Do the Gau Rakshaks now consider plywood their parents?”
Lashing out at the police, he further said, “When the locals informed the police that the vehicle did not have cattle, the circle inspector refused to pay attention and lathi-charged. They helped in spreading communal tension.”
With the intervention of the MLA, the vehicle was finally able to move from the spot.
Police later confirmed that nothing objectionable was found inside the truck.