Osmania students call for boycott of New Year celebrations

Students of Osmania Univeristy here on Tuesday asked people to boycott New Year celebrations in support of the Telangana statehood demand.

“We urge people to boycott new year celebrations to press the government to take immediate steps for the formation of Telangana state,” the student leaders said.

They asserted that they will go ahead with the proposed massive students’ convention on January 3 even as the city Police Commissioner B Prasada Rao said permission has not been given to the meeting.

The student leaders, who vowed to gather four or five lakh students for the convention, said at least one youth from every family in Telangana should attend the meet.

The leaders had on Monday said police permission is not required for the convention, named ‘Telangana Vidyarthi Maha Garjana’ (massive roar by Telangana students).

“We need not obtain permission from the police. We need permission from our Vice Chancellor. He will definitely give the permission,” they had said.

Meanwhile, tension prevailed in the Varsity campus when police stopped a demonstration by the students.

“We wanted to convey to the police officials that illegal arrests are not fair. But we are stopped,” a student leader said.