I think the cops overdid it yesterday. They should have used rubber bullets, smoke bombs, tear gas... - where was there any need to actually kill any people? I think it was a panicky reaction by the Charminar ACP who did not even understand what was happening when he reached the scene.
That said, the MIM is overdoing it - quoting Asaduddin Owaisi from rediff.com:
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"There was no need for excessive use of force and police firing. The assistant commissioner of police, Charminar, showed highhandedness and reckless behaviour in dealing with the emotionally surcharged youth who had gathered to protest the bomb blast at the mosque," Owaisi alleged.
"This was totally uncalled for. People are angry at the blast and the firing. Our first demand to the state government is to suspend the ACP immediately. His continuance ill create more problems. Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy should order a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into the blast and police firing to assuage the feelings of the people and take them into confidence," he added.
"Merely announcing ex-gratia compensation will not bring the victims back to life. Both the blast and police firing show that neither the culprits behind the blast nor the police have any respect for human life. The government must initiate action immediately on our demands. Otherwise, the situation may become difficult as the people are emotionally surcharged. We are doing our best to control the situation and we won't allow it to deteriorate," Owaisi said.
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Look at the line: "Otherwise, the situation may become difficult as the people are emotionally surcharged." It looks like he is basically threatening that he will let people loose.
Yes, Owaisi looks like he is playing to the gallery. His job should be to tell those people who resorted to stone-throwing that that was a wrong reaction. What did those shopkeepers and the RTC buses do? If Owaisi supports them today, they will be encouraged to react similarly everytime they get angry.
To a large extent, the reason that most people in the old city are so aggressive and thoughtless in most situations involving emotions is the economic strata and educational levels they live in. And the reason they are that way 60 years after independence is the Owaisis. I do not know of many MPs who can keep a constituency at such a disastrous level for 6 decades, all of which time they have represented it.
This is a typical politician thing - look for an opportunity for self-aggrandizement in a crisis.