HCU row: Protesting students held while trying to enter varsity

Hyderabad: The clamour for the removal of Hyderabad Central University (HCU) Vice-Chancellor Appa Rao Podile grew louder on Wednesday with fresh protests rocking the university, leading to preventive detention of scores of students.

The students attempted to enter the campus by scaling the main gates of the varsity, and tried to break past the barricade and heavy security to reach Podile's office.

The Joint Action Committee earlier had appealed to all students, political organisations, and people to come to HCU, register their protest and express solidarity against the alleged injustice to deceased Dalit student Rohith Vemula and to the university.

Since the university administration has imposed a blockade on the campus preventing students to contact anyone from outside, 'Chalo HCU' call is also against the imposed blockade on the university, JAC had said.

On March 23, the varsity authorities had decided not to allow any outsider, including mediapersons and politicians, on the campus.

Read:Hyderabad University may appoint ombudsman, anti-discrimination officer

The students raised slogans against the Vice chancellor and Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani, and also demanded to know how Appa Rao, who has been booked on charges of abetting suicide, could chair the 76th Academic Council meeting.

The vice chancellor also found himself in fresh controversy on Tuesday over alleged plagiarism of three study papers.

The protests took place as the 76th academic council  meeting was underway, which was deliberating the appointment of an equal opportunity cell among other things such as appointment of an ombudsman and anti-discrimination officer.

Read: Students vandalise official residence after HCU VC Appa Rao resumes work

The meeting comes on the heels of the high ranking the University achieved in the list announced by the government.

Meanwhile, the university authorities termed as rumours the reports in a section of media that there was a bandh in the varsity today.

"This is false information. The reports from various schools and departments confirm that the classes are functioning smoothly and it is also clarified that administration is also functioning normally," a statement from HCU said.

In another development, Controller of Examination Professor V Krishna, expressing solidarity with the protesting students against Rao's removal, resigned from the post and walked out of the Academic Council Meeting going on in the Varsity.

The varsity was hit by protests over the suicide of Rohith Vemula earlier this year, and recent agitation against resumption of duty by Vice-Chancellor Appa Rao Podile.