The Osmania University campus and its environs witnessed renewed violence as students and police fought pitched battles on Sunday night. Thirty persons, including 13 students, eight journalists, eight CRPF personnel and Additional Commissioner Krishna Raju were injured in repeated stone-pelting and lathi charge.
For over four hours, police fought to bring the situation under control. Trouble broke out around 6.45 p.m. when a group of students tried to take out a rally from Arts College to Tarnaka demanding resignation of legislators of the Telangana region.
They also tried to burn an effigy. Heated arguments between the police and students eventually led to caning and stone-pelting. Soon, it was a free-for-all as the police resorted to a lathi charge and lobbing of tear gas shells. In the melee journalists came under attack.
Students living in adjoining Manikeswarnagar too joined in the stone-pelting. This led to another round of lathi charge. A police post and a few tents on the campus were set on fire. It was difficult to get authentic information as police refused to allow any journalist to enter the campus. The entire area was plunged into darkness and even streetlights were not burning adding to the chaos. All one could hear was tear gas shells being fired. Entry points were barricaded and even the inner ring road touching the campus was sealed leading to traffic jams as traffic police diverted vehicles to alternative routes.
Later, Joint Commissioner of Police P.S.R. Anjaneyulu apologised to the media for injuries to scribes and claimed that only tear gas shells were used. All political parties condemned the lathi charge.
Probe ordered
PTI reports:
The Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday night ordered an inquiry into the lathicharge on students at the Osmania University here.
“The incident at OU is painful. I spoke to the DGP and Police Commissioner on the conditions that led to this incident and why lathicharge had to be done. An inquiry has been ordered into the incident immediately,” State Home Minister P. Sabita Reddy told reporters.
