Hyderabad: Tension prevailed at Osmania University in Hyderabad as a group of students on Monday launched a fast unto death, hours after some of their colleagues on hunger strike were shifted to a hospital by the police.
A large number of policemen in riot gear surrounded the Arts College building on the campus to arrest the students on hunger strike. Raising slogans of "police go back", the students squatted on the ground and refused to leave the campus despite the university authorities closing down all hostels and messes.
Leaders of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of students had a heated argument with the police officials and alleged that their peaceful agitation was being suppressed.
The arrest of students in a late night operation by the police came hours after students announced their plans to hold a meeting and gave a call for a 'Chalo Hyderabad' march on January 3.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner B Prasada Rao, in a statement on Sunday night, said no permission will be given for ‘vidyarthi garjna’ or the intensified agitation planned by the students JAC on January 3 at the Osmania University.
The JAC has threatened to lay siege to the city with students from across the region joining the march if the Central Government failed to make an announcement for initiating the process for the formation of Telangana state by January 2.
In an attempt to prevent mobilisation of students, university authorities also issued an order closing down all hostels and messes till January 5. The university has already declared holidays.
Police also disrupted the hunger strike camp at the campus around midnight and shifted 18 students to hospital. The condition of some of them had deteriorated as the hunger strike had entered the fifth day. Police used force and arrested about 50 students who tried to resist shifting of their colleagues to hospital.
Meanwhile, protests for a separate state continued in Hyderabad and nine other districts in Telangana. On an appeal by the all-party JAC, processions and demonstrations will be held in all villages on Monday and Tuesday.
After a six-hour meeting that ended on Sunday night, the JAC also called for a shutdown on Wednesday.
Since about 70 out of 119 legislators from the region have already submitted their resignations, the JAC decided to meet Speaker Kirankumar Reddy and urge him to accept the resignations immediately.
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