Hyderabad: Cop fines man for feeding poor on road

Hyderabad: A Hyderabad-based man was recently fined for feeding the hungry on Wednesday. Azhar Maqsusi, 38 started the ‘Hunger Has No Religion’ initiative eight years ago, with the aim to eradicate hunger. He has been serving food under the Dabeerpura Bridge for the last eight years and for the last four years to the attenders of patients who come for treatment to Gandhi Hospital.

On Wednesday sub-inspector B. Raju stationed at the Bowenpally police station fined Azhar and asked him to take his service elsewhere or rent a function hall.

Azhar told Newsmeter, “S-I B. Raju sir fined and asked us to look for another place to serve food to the poor and warned us that he would arrest us if we again serve food near Gandhi Hospital. ‘Hunger Has No Religion’ has been functioning for the last eight years in Hyderabad and in Secunderabad daily. Most of the people whom we serve are farmers and poor people who come from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and different other places in India for treatment at Gandhi Hospital.”

While appealing and requesting the TRS working president K. T. Rama Rao and the police commissioner to give them permission to conduct the programme at Gandhi Hospital, Azhar said, “We conduct this program daily for 30 minutes, because the hospital management doesn’t allow us to feed the poor within the hospital premises. We have no other option but to feed the poor on the roadside. But there is no obstruction to traffic and we clean the place before we leave.”

Chilkalguda sub-inspector B. Raju Naik said, ‘’Like Azhar is doing service to the people we are also doing our duty. We asked him to look for another place as he feeds people on the main road near the Metro station, it blocks the road making it more crowded leading to law and order issues outside the hospital premises. Many poor and homeless people wait for free food leading to traffic jam. Ambulances also cannot go through.”

We have booked a petty case against him and will take further action as per our senior’s orders. We have no problem with the good work he is doing but law and order should not be disturbed because of any programme. That’s why we asked him to look for another place, he adds.

Many residents from Hyderabad came out in support of Azhar. They took to Twitter to condemn the incident and requested the authorities to let the good work being done by Azhar continue. Many residents from Hyderabad came out in support of Azhar. They took to Twitter to condemn the incident and requested the authorities to let the good work being done by Azhar continue.