Pro- and anti-TRS groups clash on campus, hostel rooms torched, cops remain mute spectators
Osmania University Telangana
Hyderabad: Battle for political supremacy on the Osmania University campus has turned ugly after the formation of the Telangana State. OU students, who played a crucial role in Telangana movement, are now engaged in fierce political battle with each student group trying to gain an upper-hand over the others.
Students are resorting to frequent clashes on the campus. TRSV, the student wing of the ruling TRS, which was not a force to reckon with till recently, is now trying to become a dominant force on the campus.
The TRSV leaders are trying to take advantage of the ‘ruling party tag’ and luring leaders and activists from other student groups to its fold. TRSV’s moves are being resisted by student wings affiliated to the BJP, the TD, the Congress and the Left parties.
While the anti-TRS wings have stepped up agitations on the campus protesting Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s 100-day rule, the pro-TRS groups are trying to scuttle their protests.
The battle between the groups turned violent with some students attacking an anti-TRS activist in the hostel and setting his room ablaze in the wee hours of Thursday. In retaliation, another student’s room was later torched.
Anti-TRS student groups have joined hands to form the OU Students and Unemployed JAC, and have intensified their agitation to protest the decision of TRS government to regularise contract staff. They want the state to fill 2 lakh government posts by conducting recruitment exams.
The JAC called for bandh on Saturday to press for its demands and the bandh was a success with all the institutions remaining closed. Angered by this, the TRSV activists clashed with the JAC activists.
“TRSV leaders are misusing the power of the TRS government. Though we informed the police in advance about the possible attacks on us, the cops remained mute spectators. They turned up only after we were attacked and the hostel rooms were torched,” alleged J. Kalyan, chairman of the JAC.
“What wrong did Mr Chandrasekhar Rao do by regularising contract staff? It was a poll promise of the TRS and the people had given a clear mandate to the party. He also approved the setting up of Telangana PSC to fill 50,000 posts soon. It’s not fair to brand Mr Rao as a villain,” said Balka Suman, TRSV leader and Peddapalli MP.
Osmania University hostel rooms set ablaze:
Violent clashes erupted between two student groups on the campus of Osmania University, which led to two hostel rooms being torched. Three students were also injured. Trouble started after a Dalit student was allegedly beaten up by the ABVP activists on Wednesday near the university library.
Angered by this, members of Telangana students’ organisations and activists of Left groups allegedly set ablaze ABVP activist J. Kalyan’s room (No. 24) at the Old PG hostel. In retaliation, the opposing group torched student leader N. Sharath’s room in the same hostel, East Zone police officials said.
As the tension escalated, the cops were called in. Meanwhile, JAC leader M. Ravi said the group supporting TRS government attacked Kalyan’s room since he was leading the agitation against contract staff regularisation.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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