Photo of old Hyderabad traffic parking sign resurfaces with a communal twist

Hyderabad: A photo of a parking sign installed by the Hyderabad traffic police is being shared on social media. It is being claimed that parking is being provided to members of a particular community.

The sign reads "Vehicle Parking for Musallis."

The Hyderabad traffic police found that the picture has been going viral annually during Ramzan. "This is a 2014 post. It's deliberately being made viral during Ramzan. This particularly flexi was erected at Anwar-Ul-Loom college, near Mallepally masjid, in 2014 during Ramzan," said A.V Ranganath, Hyderabad joint traffic commissioner. "It was put up to provide parking facilities for those who visited the masjid only that year," he added.

He further confirmed that the sign was not put up again at that spot or anywhere else in Hyderabad thereafter.

The photo of the parking board is being shared with a caption, in Telugu, that reads, "Parking only for Muslims - this board is not in Saudi or Pakistan but in Hyderabad. The board has been erected by police, not Muslims." However, the actual sign does not say it is for Muslims but for Musalli's

"The word "Musallis" means devotees and the parking place is reserved only for persons coming for prayers," Mr. Ranganath clarified. He further requested all citizens not to believe in such posts and abstain from circulating such motivated posts.

"Circulation of such pictures or posts in an attempt to turn people from diffrent religions against each other will no longer be tolerated," Mr. Ranganath said.

He further said that serious legal action will be taken against those who post/share/circulate such posts that particularly affect communal harmony. "We are not sure who is circulating the post but the cyber crime police department has taken this issue up. They will take necessary actions against those responsible for circulating the poster," Mr. Ranganath said.