Political leaders of different parties decried the decision of the University of Hyderabad management not to allow any ‘outsider’ into the campus in light of apprehensions that it would lead to ‘unwanted tension’.
On Wednesday morning, Rajya Sabha Member V. Hanumantha Rao (Congress) tried to enter the campus but was denied entry by the police who firmly told him that they had a written request from the varsity management asking police not to allow anybody into the varsity.
The MP told waiting presspersons that since Kanhaiya Kumar was himself a student, he did not see any point in the management’s standpoint. “After all, he is coming only to console Rohith Vemula’s mother,” he added. The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) President had earlier declared his intention to visit the campus on Wednesday evening and hence the heavy posse of police.
Mr. Kumar, who attracted national spotlight after facing charges of sedition, was >scheduled to address students at UoH on Wednesday evening and at a meeting to be held at the Sundarayya Vignana Kendram in the City on Thursday on ‘Constitutional Rights’.
Shortly before noon, Mr. Kumar was received among others by senior leader and National Executive member of the Communist Party of India, K. Narayana and the CPI’s City Unit President Dr. Sudhakar. The student leader was then escorted to Chandra Rajeswara Rao Foundation in Hafeezpet by the leaders personally, before going over to the UoH campus later in the afternoon.
“Mr. Kumar said he was coming to the campus only to console Rohith Vemula’s mother and later speak to the agitating students. There will be no problem if the management and police do not make a fuss of the student leader’s visit,” Mr. Narayana told The Hindu .
On Tuesday, angry students >attacked the Vice-Chancellor's office after learning about Prof. P. Appa Rao resuming duty. The Registrar in-charge of UoH M. Sudhakar, had written to the Cyberabad Police Commissioner C.V. Anand recalling yesterday’s action. Describing it as ‘vandalism’, he said the management suspected detrimental repercussions from later in the evening, he requested adequate police force at all the gates of the varsity.
He also wrote that as a precautionary measure, all gates except the main gate would be closed down and added that media personnel, members of political groups and external students’ organisations and politicians would not be allowed into the campus.
