Workers of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) clashed with policemen at Manikeshwarinagar situated adjacent to the Osmania University campus on Monday escalating tension on the campus, the epicentre of students’ agitation and in the nearby localities.
Scores of protestors and some media personnel covering the clashes were injured in stone pelting and the subsequent lathicharge by the police.
Trouble began when a group of students marching in a group towards the Osmania Campus were were prevented by the police from going towards Arts College. As arguments continued, some more TRS activists enforcing the bandh joined them, forcing the police to use force for dispersing them.
The youngsters who ran into the Manikeshwarinagar pelted stones on the police. Again police resorted to lathicharge and in the meanwhile word spread to Arts college where nearly 1000 students were gathered, about the lathicharge. As students ran to the Manikeshwarinagar, additional police contingents moved in and at several places stone pelting was reported.
Caught in the melee were journalists who took stone hits as well as lathi blows.
Tension was escalating on the Osmania campus from the morning, after heavy contingents of police moved into the campus. The police had been keeping away from the University campus after the brutal lathicharge on students invited wide criticism on the day TRS chief called off fast in police custody in Khammam a week ago.
