Hyderabad, February 22: Nizam College hostel borders at Basheerbagh rained stones on a large police force in riot gear when they were prevented from heading to the Assembly nearby in response to a call given by Osmania University students’ joint action committee demanding separate Telangana.
The stone-pelting began when police stopped students in the tracks as they came out of the hostel building around noon. The police took cover and lobbed teargas shells which sent the mob scurrying back into the building.
The students climbed the rooftop and continued to hurl stones on the police who retaliated by firing teargas shells. Central Zone Deputy Commissioner of Police Akun Sabharwal, college Principal Ashok Naidu and hostel warden Bala Brahmachari rushed to the premises in a bid to pacify the crowd.
Mr. Sabharwal used a megaphone to warn the students that the police may have to enter the hostels to restore peace. However, the principal and warden and some policemen who managed to go closer pacified the students. Earlier, a group of girl students from other institutions reached the Police Control Room, but failed to break a police cordon.
They raised slogans, but soon the police reached the place and they were whisked away in vehicles. Half-a-dozen boys finally reached gate I of the Assembly after the House adjourned and tried to scale it but were picked up by the police.
As the trouble at Nizam College hostel brewed, a separate group of students broke glass windowpanes and set fire to a computer terminal and an automatic ticket vending machine at Necklace Road railway station.
Advocates from various courts also tried to march to the Raj Bhavan to submit a petition to the Governor demanding statehood, at the same time. They were shifted in several vehicles at Khairatabad junction.
A group of advocates boarded an MMTS train from Nampally and stopped it by pulling the chain right in front of Raj Bhavan. They were also arrested along with some of their colleagues who came running over the railway tracks. Later, a delegation met the Governor.