Hyderabad: Security at Golconda Fort’s Naya Qila attacked

Hyderabad: A minor scuffle broke out in front of the Golconda Fort’s Naya Qila area in the early hours on Tuesday when a few unidentified drunk men attacked Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) the golf course security personnel who were manning the entry gate. The assailants demanded entry into the Naya Qila area, and reportedly beat up the guards, a few of which were taken to a hospital nearby for treatment.
Interestingly, additional security was posted at Naya Qila by the ASI after the Hyderabad Golf Course Association (HGA) started expansion works without permission from the authorities a day earlier. Officials said that while the ASI accepted the golf course’s request to allow expansion, the landscaping work required for it would require permission from the ASI without fail. As none was taken, the ASI intervened and got it stopped.
It may be noted that activists have from years questioned how ancient historic land of the Golconda fort was given to private organisations like the HGA.
The additional 24-hour security was posted at Naya Qila for that purpose. However, unexpectedly, the known assailants landed up at the location and demanded entry into Naya Qila. Officials from the Golconda police station have also been informed, and a formal written complaint will be given soon, said ASI officials. The cops are reportedly on the lookout for the attackers. It is unsure what their exact motive was, but it is suspected that they are anti-social elements from the surrounding areas Naya Qila history The Naya Qila area is in fact believed to be about over 400 years old, and is a part of the Golconda dynasty’s (which founded Hyderabad in 1591) remaining heritage in Hyderabad. The Naya Qila area, which is now cut-off from the Golconda fort due to local encroachments, was developed into an external fortification after the first Mughal attack (during the time of Emperor Shah Jahan) on Hyderabad in 1656.  It has two huge bastions called Laila and Majnu, of which Majnu continues to be in a state of disrepair after its collapse during monsoons in 2021. The ancient historic site was one of the few places which witnessed damage during heavy rains in 2021 in the fort. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which runs the historical site, was supposed to undertake repairs, but that has not happened so far as well.