Andhracafe.com- Hyderabad: Tension prevailed in the busy Koti area for about three hours when the officials of the Town Planning wing of Municipal Cororation of Hyderabad (MCH) removed more than 100 books stalls on the pavements.

Police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the resisting book-stall owners and many of hem were taken into custody. Later the stalls were pulled down with the help of three excavators amidst tight police bandobust. Traffic movements came to a standstill for more than three hours during the operation.

The MCH demolished the book stalls on footpaths as per the directions of the AP High Court. The Koti book stalls besides being a landmark are popular among the students for availability of all kinds of secondhand books, including those on medicine and engineering. Hundreds of students throng the area throughout the day. Books are also lent here.

The MCH set November 4 as the deadline for the book stall owners, to shift to the newly allotted places-Koti subway and the newly constructed MCH commercial complex in Sultan Bazar. As they failed to comply, the officials along with police descended on the place at 10 am and started demolition.

Some of the stall owners who had been removing the books since last night pleaded with the officials to give them some more time but in vain. The officials’ adamant attitude led to a protest by the stall owners and subsequent lathi-charge by the police. CITU and CPM workers who came to support the book stall owners were also caned by the police.

Stall owners claimed that they were given time till 2 pm, but the demolition was started much earlier. CPM MP P Madhu said it was improper on the part of the authorities to pull down shops without giving alternative accommodation.