Tension at Osmania University as police make arrests to prevent march

Hyderabad: Tension prevailed at Osmania University here on Tuesday night as police arrested leaders and activists of students' organisations preparing to participate in Wednesday's march to the assembly.

Police teams conducted searches on the campus and arrested few students to foil the march called by Telangana Democratic Front (TDF), an umbrella of several mass organisations, to protest killing of two Maoists by the police.

Students resisted arrest, which led to tension. A similar situation prevailed at Kakatiya University in Warangal.

Hyderabad police have denied permission to march to the assembly on grounds that Maoists may participate and indulge in violence.

TDF alleged that hundreds of leaders and activists of various Left parties and other organisations were arrested across the state to prevent them from heading towards Hyderabad.

Condemning the arrests, TDF said it remind of the dark days of emergency.

While rejecting TDF's application for permission for the march, the police said TDF was formed and the call for the march was given at the instance of banned Communist Party of India-Maoist.

TDF had called for "chalo assembly", a march from Sundaraiah Park to the assembly building to protest the killings of two Maoists by the police in "staged-managed" gunfight.

Maoists Shruthi and Vidyasagar were killed near Medaram of Warangal district on September 16. It was the first case after the formation of separate Telangana state last year.

A total of 370 organisations including 10 left parties and the groups which fought for separate Telangana state, have come together under the banner of TDF to condemn the killings.