After the lull of a few months, tension returned to Osmania University campus as it witnessed violent incidents involving student groups attacking one another on Friday and Saturday.
Though the campus had witnessed violent incidents earlier, they were mostly related to the pro-Telangana agitation and comprised of demonstrations and clashes with policemen. However, the attacks and counter attacks which led to the damaging of the idol of a deity before the temple near the Arts College were not related to the Telangana agitation, police said.
Trouble began on Friday night, when M.Com. student Sampath summoned some students suspecting that they were behind disappearance of his mobile phone. The students grilled by him owed allegiance to TRSV – the student wing of TRS.
As word spread that TRSV activists were being questioned in connection with a missing mobile phone at Manjeera hostel, their supporters from different hostels gathered at one place and planned to attack ABVP workers.
Meanwhile, ABVP activists spotted TRSV sympathiser Shyam near a hostel and allegedly beat him up. Angered over this, TRSV workers too started attacking ABVP members at different places on the campus.
“We have registered five cases against both student groups in this connection,” OU Inspector P. Ashok said. Police have also rushed additional forces and are patrolling the campus to control the warring student groups.
On Saturday afternoon, different student organisations other than ABVP held a meeting at Arts College to discuss the clashes. They condemned the attack on TRSV members.
Even as their meeting was on, ABVP leaders Ramakrishna and Kadiam Raju were passing by Arts College. On seeing them, some of the assembled students tried to attack and chase them.
Later, the agitating students burnt posters and effigies of right-wing leaders near Eflu junction. Meanwhile, another group of students pulled down the idol of goddess Saraswati installed before the temple at OU library using a rope. They took it atop the Arts College portico and threw it down from there.
On learning of this, police rushed to spot and dispersed the students using mild force. No violent incidents were reported further but the campus continues to be tense.
