OU Student Groups Clash, Set Hostel Rooms Ablaze at Night
HYDERABAD: A clash between different student groups in Osmania University, late Wednesday night, spilled over into a crisis, with a large number of police personnel staying put on the campus as the volatile situation showed no signs of abating even on Thursday.
The two groups which came to blows on Wednesday night, set fire to hostel rooms of their rivals. Rooms of student leader Kalyan (ABVP) and Naliganti Sharath, who earlier contested Amberpet Assembly seat on MIM ticket, were damaged in the fire.
Five cases have been registered with Osmania University police against both the groups in this regard for rioting, arson, damaging public property, hurting etc. According to ACP Kachiguda J Ranjan Rathan Kumar, three cases have been filed against Sharath and two cases against his rival group.
The fresh round of tension began when the Unemployed JAC, largely supported by ABVP, had allegedly thrashed MA Telugu student K Ravi on Wednesday afternoon when he declined to participate in a bandh call given by them, TRSV (TRS Student wing) State president Kota Srinivas Goud said.
As the evening progressed, tension rose and action shifted to the old PG hostel on the campus when the ABVP supporters and rival groups threw stones at each other. Student leader Sharath said he was targeted by ABVP supporters because he had contested against BJP State president G Kishan Reddy in the recent general polls.
“The communal forces of ABVP have been trying to disrupt peace in the university by physically assaulting Dalit and Muslim students. And, this is not the first time that they had resorted to such actions,” he said.
He claimed all his belongings, including his research work, certificates and cash, were burnt in the fire. Protesting the alleged physical assault by ABVP, other student groups on the campus took out a rally and burnt an effigy of Kishan Reddy.
Telangana Students’ Association president N Satish said ABVP have been targeting them for not extending support to protesting the Telangana government’s move to regularise contract staff.