Hyderabad, 2 November (H.S.): Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Hyderabad on Monday afternoon and offered prayers at the Sri Bhagyalakshmi Temple near the historic Charminar before taking part in the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) padyatra against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

Shah was welcomed at Begumpet Airport by Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy. At the Bhagyalakshmi Temple, Shah performed special prayers along with BJP Telangana president N. Ramchander Rao, Kishan Reddy and other party leaders.

The Home Minister is scheduled to lead the padyatra from the statue of Dr Babu Jagjivan Ram near Nizam College in Basheerbagh to the Mozamjahi Market crossroads. The foot march is scheduled to begin at 3 pm, followed by Shah's address to a public gathering at Mozamjahi Market.

Rao said lawyers, doctors, intellectuals, thousands of party workers and members of the public were expected to participate in the programme.

The padyatra is being organised under the slogan 'Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao' (Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy) as part of the BJP's nationwide campaign against what it describes as misinformation and an organised campaign by the Opposition over the SIR exercise.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar