Hyderabad, April 1 Protests by student groups, green activists and opposition parties intensified on Tuesday at the University of Hyderabad over the Telangana government’s action in bulldozing trees on 400 acres of land next to the campus for its auction.
Activists of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and others gathered at the main gate of the central university, protesting against the ongoing action on the land at Kancha Gachibowli.
Holding their party flags and raising slogans, the protestors tried to enter the campus but were pushed back by the police. The protestors were arrested and whisked away to different police stations by the police.
BJP leader Chikoti Praveen, who came to show solidarity with protesting students, was also arrested.
The protestors wanted to march towards the land, where the authorities have deployed bulldozers and earthmovers to develop the land ahead of its auction for development of multi-use infrastructure and IT parks.
Students also continued their protest on the campus. They demanded that the government immediately withdraw its decision as it harms biodiversity.
The protest again triggered tension at the university, which has been witnessing the protests for the last few days.
Earlier, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators were also detained by the police when they were leaving for the university from MLA quarters in Hyderguda. Stating that there is no permission for their visit, the police stopped and detained them. They were taken to police stations.
BJP floor leader in Telangana Assembly A. Maheshwar Reddy was placed under house arrest.
Meanwhile, police forces have also been deployed at the houses of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K. T. Rama Rao, senior leader T. Harish Rao and other leaders amid reports that they are planning to march towards the university for the protest.
Police have beefed up security around the university and at the 400-acre site to prevent any protests.
The opposition parties have accused the Congress government of destroying the environment to fill its coffers. They also condemned the alleged highhandedness of the police against the protesting students.
The government claimed its goal was to promote investment in the state and that the land had nothing to do with the university.
The police on Sunday detained more than 50 students when they tried to halt the work by force and attacked officials and workers with sticks and stones. They were later released. Police said two persons, identified as B. Rohit Kumar and Erram Naveen Kumar, were arrested and remanded to judicial custody.
Police have urged students not to believe rumours being spread through social media. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Madhapur, Dr Vineet, said Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) initiated development work on the land at Kancha Gachibowli village, as per Government Order. “There was no lathi charge on the students nor were any students dragged from their hostels as wrongly alleged,” he said.
The police said that anyone disrupting law and order will be liable for action as per the law.
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