TIRUPATI: A round-table meeting in Tirupati on Wednesday demanded the withdrawal of counter-cases against SFI leaders Akbar and Vinod at Chandragiri police station and called for the immediate arrest of Mohan Babu and his son Manchu Vishnu in connection with the alleged attacks and kidnapping of student leaders.
Various student unions, including SFI, AISF, NLSA, and NSUI, along with public organisations and political groups, organised the meeting at Vemana Vignana Kendra in Yashoda Nagar under the presiding of CITU district general secretary T Subramanyam.
Addressing the media, the organisers demanded cancellation of Mohan Babu University’s recognition, refund of Rs 26 crore allegedly collected illegally as fees from students, and the arrest of all accused, including bouncers involved in the incident.
As part of the protest, the organisations announced that they will burn effigies of Mohan Babu and Manchu Vishnu on Thursday at Jyotirao Phule’s statue in Balaji Colony. They called for a bandh of educational institutions across both Telugu states on Friday and urged private and government institutions in Tirupati to extend solidarity and remain closed.
CITU state vice-president Kandharapu Murali, CPM district secretary Vandavasi Nagaraju, CPI district secretary P Murali, CPI(ML) Tirupati city secretary P Venkataratnam, and RPI South India states president P Anjaiah strongly condemned the alleged actions of university management.
They questioned whether students should be kidnapped for raising concerns over the alleged illegal collection of `26 crore as fees. The leaders said that Mohan Babu’s actions reflected a ‘violent and inhuman culture’ and called upon all humanists to condemn it.
They alleged that instead of imparting education and values, the institution was using bouncers and goons to intimidate, threaten, and physically attack those who questioned the management.