Explosive situation at Osmania University

HYDERABAD - An explosive situation prevailed in Osmania University here Sunday night as violence over Telangana issue, police firing and arson rocked the campus.

Police and paramilitary forces laid siege to the campus as the tension spread to neighbouring residential neighbourhood with residents coming out in support of students.

The sprawling campus plunged into darkness as police cut off electricity and stopped even ambulances from entering the university, eye witnesses said.

Leaders of university students Joint Action Committee (JAC) alleged that police entered hostels and beat up students. The JAC leaders threaten mass suicides if the police and paramilitary forces do not vacate the campus.

Students set afire police tents on the campus and raised slogans of “police go back”.

Police fired several rounds of rubber bullets and teargas shells at the Arts College. It also baton charged students and beat up journalists covering the students’ protests.

Six media persons also sustained injuries and their cameras and other equipment were damaged in the police action on the campus, eye-witnesses said.

A large number of students including girls were still sitting on the campus protesting the police “brutality”. A JAC leader and a journalist sustained serious injuries in police baton charge.

Media persons alleged that it was well-planned attack on them as the policemen abused them for covering the student protests and did not even spare their vehicles.

The trouble began when students took out a rally hailing the resignations of 15 legislators and demanding others to quit. As the protestors tried to march towards Tarnaka area, police and paramilitary forces stopped them, leading to heated arguments.

A police officer claimed that students started pelting stones forcing them to baton-charge.

Tension gripped the sprawling campus, the nerve centre of ongoing agitation over the demand for statehood to Telangana as police action evoked widespread condemnation by student bodies and pro-Telangana parties.

All-party Joint Action Committee (JAC) has condemned the police action on the campus. Police arrested JAC convenor M. Kodandaram when he wanted to enter the campus to meet students.

The university has been witnessing clashes between students and police since the agitation began in November last year.

Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao appealed to government to withdraw the police forces immediately from the campus.

Students and journalists in several Telangana districts came out on streets condemning police action in Osmania University. They took out rallies and blocked traffic.

Tension prevailed at Kakatiya University campus in Warangal town as police mobilised additional forces to tackle student protests.