Barring a few demonstrations by the students at NCC Gate in Osmania University demanding the release of arrested students, the campus was peaceful on Saturday, bringing much needed relief to the police and nearby residents.
However, some tense moments were witnessed in the morning when an engineering student of a private college, Bandaru Srinivas, was found hanging to a tree near the library. Anticipating that the incident would again escalate tension on the campus, police immediately shifted the body to Gandhi Hospital for an autopsy. Around 11.30 a.m., members of Telangana Vidyardhi Vibagh (TVV) took out a bike rally from Arts College to NCC Gate. A few minutes later, Telangana Students Joint Action Committee (TSJAC) assembled at the same place and burnt an effigy of the Chief Minister. Another group also staged a demonstration raising slogans against the Congress government.
Irate students strongly criticised the elected representatives from Telangana for not extending their support to Friday’s rally. “Ministers and MLAs had failed to use their good offices in releasing the arrested students. We will teach a fitting lesson to them,” said TSJAC Chairman Vijay.
Meanwhile, security forces continued to maintain a constant vigil at the university and its surroundings in the wake of engineering student’s death. Senior officials maintained that the situation was peaceful.
For the past three days, the university had turned into a battlefield as students and police clashed repeatedly. While students indulged in stone-pelting, security forces retaliated lobbing tear-gas shells preventing students’ attempts to proceed towards Vidyanagar to take part in ‘Chalo Assembly’ rally.
