Hyderabad: It is agitations galore in Andhra
Pradesh with protests for and against the bifurcation of the
state gaining momentum.
While the agitation by pro-Telangana elements was marked
by violence mainly in the Osmania University campus here, the
unified state protagonists launched a bus yatra from
Visakhapatnam to drum up people`s support for their cause.
Pro-Telangana elements in the garb of students attacked
police and security personnel deployed on the OU campus with
stones.
Police denied permission for a mass hunger-strike by the
separatists inside the OU but a group of students sat on fast
demanding that the Government of India immediately revoke the
14(F) clause of the Presidential Order governing government
appointments.
The separatists also tried to take out a rally to the Raj
Bhavan but police foiled the attempt as prohibitory orders
under different sections of law were in force in the state
capital.
A few Telangana legislators, who resigned from their
posts demanding creation of a separate state, were arrested by
police outside the Assembly when they sought to visit the OU
expressing solidarity with the agitating separatists.
City Commissioner of Police AK Khan told newsmen on Monday
that the situation was "under control and peaceful" in Osmania
University.
"We have no objection to students carrying out any
agitation in a peaceful manner. But, only students and staff
of the University alone will be allowed into the campus as per
the Supreme Court guidelines. We have concrete information
that many outsiders are camping inside OU hence we have taken
some persons into custody for violating prohibitory orders,"
Khan said after visiting the OU.
The Commissioner denied that para-military forces were
deployed inside the University.
"Only the local police are inside the campus while
additional forces have been deployed outside to prevent
untoward incidents," Khan said.
Director General of Police V Dinesh Reddy met Chief
Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and briefed him about the
situation in view of the trouble at OU.
On the other hand, the pro-unified state supporters are
prevailing upon ministers and elected representatives from
Andhra-Rayalaseema regions to leave no stone unturned to
prevent bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
In Tirupati, students of Sri Venkateswara University
boycotted classes in support of a unified state.
Meanwhile, state Revenue Minister N Raghuveera Reddy
maintained that resignations were not a solution to any
problem.
"Resignations will only cause by-elections and not solve
the problem. Since it is a coalition government at the Centre,
all constituents of UPA have to be consulted before taking a
decision on the statehood issue," he told students` Joint
Action Committee leaders of Andhra University in
Visakhapatnam, when they sought his support for a unified
state.
Raghuveera, however, assured the students that they
would fight to keep Andhra Pradesh united.
Students laid siege to the residences of Rural
Development Minister D Manikya Varaprasad and Md Ahmadullah in
Guntur and Kadapa respectively demanding that they quit their
posts in support of a unified state.
PTI
