Hyderabad: The Hyderabad police detained several hundreds of protesters belonging to the Left parties and student groups on Wednesday when they were heading to the state Assembly to protest the recent encounter killings of Maoists in Warangal.
A total of 370 organisations including 10 Left parties and groups which fought for Telangana statehood, came together under the banner of Telangana Democratic Front to protest the killings in alleged encounters of Maoist underground cadres Shruthi and Vidyasagar, and five undertrial terror suspects on April 7 this year.
Among those arrested were Varavara Rao, Chada Venkat Reddy and T. Veerabhadram. Many leaders were picked up from Indira Park, Sundarayya Vignana Kendram and even from their houses.
There was tension on the Osmania University campus when police arrested leaders and activists of student organisations who preparing to participate in the march.
Acivists shouted slogans against Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and squatted on the road near Baghlingampally, the starting point for the rally. Police swung packed off the protesters into vehicles.
In the Central zone, police arrested 250 protesters detained them at the Goshamahal police grounds. Other protesters were taken to Gandhinagar police station and Afzalgunj.
At Osmania University campus, police thwarted attempts by a group of protesting students to march towards Assembly. Cops barricaded the gate and arrested the students who tried to leave the campus. Students pelted stones at the police for some time.
Hyderabad police had denied permission for the rally stating that the Telangana Democratic Forum had been formed at the instance of the Maoists. Maoist cadres, supporters and activists from Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and the Andhra-Orissa Border could come to Hyderabad udner the guise of the rally, the police contended.
SFI calls for protests in state varsities
The Students Federation of India has called for protests in all varsities in the state on Thursday against the arrests made to foil the ‘Chalo Assembly’ march protesting police encounters in the state.
Meanwhile students of Osmania University have called for a university bandh on Thursday.
Students on Wednesday attempted to take out a rally against the encounter of two alleged Maoists but were arrested by the police. Telangana Vidyarthi Sangham President Kota Srinivas said the police entered the campus without the authorities’ permission and arrested the students.
SFI said it would burn effigies of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao in all universities.
