Stranded for the third consecutive day within the boundary of the Osmania University (OU), hundreds of students of the historical educational institution are sending out an SOS message for the rights groups to bail them out from the cordons of paramilitary forces.
Anticipating trouble from the students following the submission of the report by the BN Srikrishna Committee on the issue of bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, thousands of policemen, including those from central paramilitary forces, have been deployed around the campus.
As expected, the students protested against the report and asked the government to introduce a bill in the coming budget session of the Parliament. With the protests on campus turning violent, the police have been repeatedly caning the students for each of the three days. Additionally, hundreds of rounds of teargas shells too have been and are being fired at the students.
The OU campus has been sealed off and the forces deployed there are not allowing the students to either leave the campus or others to enter.
“The situation reminds us of Emergency days. The campus has been sealed off and none of us is being allowed to step out. Any attempt to go out by the students is being foiled by the forces by indiscriminately caning them,” Rajaram Yadav, an OU student leader, said.
Adding to the troubles of the students, the OU management has decided to close down the hostels and the pantry, forcing the students to go home instead of staying on campus. The students are being supported by the residents of Manikeshwar Nagar, a slum locality adjacent to the OU campus. “The forces are offering Rs300 as remuneration if the locals give information on the students taking shelter in the residential area,” a student said.
Hyderabad police commissioner AK Khan, while dismissing allegations of police excesses injuring the students on campus, said the students were being stopped from coming out of the campus only to ensure that they do not attack private property outside the campus.
