Students clashed with the riot police again today in and around the Osmania University campus in Hyderabad and pelted stones on them. The police responded with lobbing tear gas shells on students leading to tension once again.
In the wake of the threat of indefinite fast by hundreds of OU students beginning today seeking formation of separate Telangana state, the campus looked like a police fortress and hundreds of steel helmeted police took up positions in and around the campus since yesterday to deal with any possible outbreak of violence.
When the students tried to take out a rally to go to Raj Bhavan, the police stopped them at the NCC gate. Students resisted and pelted stones forcing the security forces to teargas them.
Students and leaders arrested
Police conducted raids on students’ hostels and on some houses in the colonies near the University last night and this morning and arrested several dozens of them.
Police Commissioner AK Khan warned that students did not obtain permission for the proposed mass indefinite fasting programme and they had to act by arresting students as a precautionary measure.
Police also arrested MLAs Etela Rajendar, Harish Rao, Rama Rao and K. Eswar of the TRS, Nagam Janardhan reddy and Jogu Ramanna (suspended TDP MLAs) and Vidyasagar rao and Bandaru Dattatreya of the BJP when they tried to go the OU campus defying prohibitory orders.
Police are not allowing any one into the OU campus including political leaders and students are allowed after revealing their identity cards. The arrests were condemned by JAC chief Prof. Kodanda Ram and Nagam Janardhan reddy. “The police are treating the campus as Indo-Pak border,” Kodanda ram alleged.
