SFI leaders, activists stage ‘Chalo Vijayawada’ protest

Policemen arrest SFI leaders and activists during the Chalo Vijayawada’ protest, at Dharna chowk on Saturday, demands solve their problems. | Photo Credit: G.N. Rao

Tensions erupted at a few places here on Saturday as leaders and activists of the Student Federation of India (SFI) took to the streets demanding immediate solutions to their long-standing issues.

As part of the ‘Chalo Vijayawada’ protest, the students were protested against government inaction and demanded immediate solution for their issues.

Police used force to remove the student activists from the protest venue, arrested 99 of them and shifted them to the Ajit Singh Nagar and One Town police stations.

SFI State president and secretary K. Prasanna Kumar and A. Ashok condemned the police for using force against the students. They alleged that girl students were dragged on the ground and bundled into the police vans which resulted in many of them sustaining injuries and bruises.

They said the Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had promised to solve all their issues before coming to power. However, he evaded his responsibilities upon taking office. They said that the student community was plagued by several problems but not a single one was discussed in the five-day Assembly session.

They alleged that the government missed no opportunity to claim that it had introduced a series of welfare schemes in the education sector, but it had been reducing budget for some of its pet projects like Amma Vodi, Jagananna Vidya Deevena and Jagananna Vasathi Deevena.

Further, they highlighted that the welfare hostels across the State were in very bad shape but the authorities concerned did not bother to address the problems. The mess charges allotted by the government from adequate, they said demanding that the amount be increased to ₹3,000. They demanded the immediate supply of textbooks to intermediate students.

They slammed the government for abruptly stopping the Mid-Day-Meal scheme in government junior colleges. They also demanded the revocation of GO77, stating it would deprive students from economically backward sections of education.

SFI’s State vice-president Vinod, assistant secretaries Kiran, Vinod and Venkateswara Rao, State committee member M. Someswara Rao, Sk, Zahida, Soumya, Ramu, Rangappa, Ravi, Haribabu, Samaram, Sameera and others participated in the protest.