Ahead of Ivanka Trump’s visit to Hyderabad to attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit at the end of this month, the city Police has launched a massive drive to remove beggars from the streets, saying “these acts are dangerous to the safety of the vehicular traffic and public in general”.
Hundreds of foreign delegates are expected to attend the summit to be held at Hitec City from November 28 to 30, and the Telangana Government which wants Hyderabad to be seen as a global capital, is keen on ensuring that no beggars are seen around.
The daughter of the US president will join India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Hyderabad later this month.
Hyderabad police commissioner M Mahendar Reddy reportedly issued an order this week that beggars should be taken off the streets because they cause “nuisance, obstruction to free movement (and) danger to vehicular traffic and pedestrians.”
On Friday a senior police officer who asked not to be named said the notification was part of the city’s “routine anti-begging efforts” and should not be linked to Trump’s visit.
He said the city had set up a rehabilitation centre where the beggars could be housed until they were able to “lead normal lives”.
Begging will be banned in the city until January 7, with offenders facing jail or a fine.
Activist Madhu Purnima Kishwar said the order amounted to “criminalising” poverty.
“It is cruel as it criminalizes poverty,” she said. “Did they expect them (dignitaries) to take a stroll and talk to the beggars on the street?”
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