BASARA/ HYDERABAD: TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy lambasted the State government over excessive police deployment to suppress the students’ protest at IIIT-Basara in Nirmal district. Revanth was arrested by the police on Friday from IIIT-Basara where hundreds of students are staging a protest over poor quality of food and lack of amenities in the campus. Speaking to mediapersons, Revanth said, “Is it fair to manhandle a member of parliament? The State government has deployed heavy police on the highway to prevent political leaders from entering the RGUKT campus. Why don’t the State government use these police at pubs, railway stations and dark areas to prevent crimes like rapes in the State.
As the police are preventively detaining the political leaders who attempt to reach the agitating students, Revanth adopted different transport methods to reach them. He travelled on a two-wheeler and then a tractor to reach IIIT Basara. Amid heavy police presence, Revanth entered the campus after climbing over a boundary wall on the backside of the institute but was soon arrested by the police.Revanth was initially shifted to Lokeshwaram police station in Nirmal district. When hundreds of Congress activists gathered at the police station demanding his release, the Malkajgiri MP was taken to Hyderabad.
Basides Revanth, the police also detained MLC T Jeevan Reddy, former Nirmal MLA A Maheshwar Reddy and others in Narsapur. Demanding Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to immediately arrange basic amenities across all universities in the State, Revanth said, “I am cautioning KCR that students will revolt in a big way.” He added that Congress will derive a declaration for students and unemployed youth on a par with their recent ‘Warangal Declaration’.Nirmal BJP district president P Ramadevi, Hari Nayak, Ramarao Patil were arrested by the police on the day. A few ABVP leaders who staged a protest were also detained.
Students’ protest enters 4th day
The students union leaders said they met the director and submitted a memo-randum. Meanwhile, the college administration, assured the students that the director will take measures to address the issues raised by them and urged them to attend the classes. The students maintained that they will continue with the protest tell their demands are met.