After a brief lull, tension returned to the Osmania University on Sunday after students repeatedly clashed with police for denying them permission to take out a procession to the Raj Bhavan. At least three students were injured in the clashes that last till evening.
Police foil bid
There were waves of protests by different groups and the students – police confrontation continued throughout the day. In a clear change in strategy, students divided themselves into batches of 30 to 50 students and began engaging the police. Their demand was similar – they wanted to go to the Raj Bhavan and their intention was to lay siege to it. A large number of policemen clad in complete riot gear stopped them irrespective of the taunts and the fierce slogan shouting.
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The barricades erected were of good use as the protestors could not go past them, but their inability to go past the barricades soon turned into anger, followed by more slogan shouting and then stone-pelting. The police waited for sometime and then lobbed teargas shells. A water cannon was also deployed but away from the NCC gate and ready to move if situation slipped out of control. The first wave of protest began around 10.30 a.m. The student groups organised a motorcycle rally on the campus and 50 of them rushed to the NCC gate and on being prevented from going ahead, began hurling stones. The situation was however brought under control within an hour as the police managed to disperse them by using teargas shells several times.
Soon another batch of some 50 students arrived and the confrontation began all over again. Students squatted on the main road and raised slogans denouncing the attitude of the police. This time three students were injured in the stone pelting incidents and they were rushed to a nearby hospital on motorcycles.
Another group tried to come out of the university through the lane near Ladies Hostel but police foiled their plan. Enraged over the failure, students again hurled stones at the police.
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Senior police officials said all routes connecting the university were closed and barbed-wires were placed to prevent entry of outsiders into the campus.
Barricades were placed on the main road in front of OU police station to prevent students from proceeding towards Tarnaka.