It was a day of see-saw battles in the State capital on Monday between the pro-Telangana students, who were determined to reach Indira Park, the venue of ‘Samara Deeksha’ and the police remaining equally adamant in stopping them at many places.
There were instances of confrontation between the law enforcers and the protesters at Osmania University campus, Nizam Coellge Hostel near Basheerbagh, Gun Park and Indira Park where the 36-hour-long ‘Samara Deeksha’ ended on Monday evening.
The overzealousness of the police in sealing off road stretches led to public resentment as harried motorists had to take long detours. Osmania University was totally sealed from all sides, while roads leading to Indira Park have been barricaded.
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It was only after the intervention of the Andhra Pradesh High Court around 3 p.m. directing the police to allow the students participate in the Deeksha, the police lifted the blockades.
Though the police appeared to have devised a fool-proof method of preventing the students from joining the protests, student groups managed to hoodwink them and turned up at Indira park. Batches of students of Osmania University and surrounding districts staged protest demonstrations wherever they were stopped. Waves of protests were witnessed close to Indira Park as the police teams went overdrive to stop people. At every barricade, there were angry exchanges between the protesters and the police.
At Indira Park, situation appeared to slip out of control as students were not allowed to cross the barricades and take out a peace rally to Gun Park. After arguments and jostling, the restive students drag the metal barricades off the road and used them push away the rolls of concertina wires. This necessitated use of force by the policemen.
At other places, police arrested protesters and shifted them to nearby stations, but they had to finally give up as the crowds swelled and started arriving in batches. Additional police forces were mobilised at Gun Park in front of the Assembly building to thwart any students rally reaching there. Some students from Nizam College Hostel at Basheerbagh were taken into custody when they started for Gun Park. An hour later, another group of students managed to assemble at Gun Park escaping police. Activists of the All India Students’ Federation staged a flash demonstration near Old MLA Quarters at Hyderabad.
ABVP workers arrested
Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad workers were taken into custody at Andhra Mahila Sabha arch while a batch of students held mock funeral of Ministers K. Jana Reddy and Uttam Kumar Reddy.