Hyderabad, December 27: In a late night swoop on fasting students of Osmania University, police shifted one of them to the Gandhi General Hospital amid stiff resistance.
The condition of the student in question, Kavi Raju, had deteriorated and given his history of convulsions doctors from Gandhi Hospital attending on the fasters feared that he could slip into coma. This prompted the police to whisk the youth away, turning the situtaion on campus volatile.
In fact, the doctors had recommended hospitalisation of four students.
Nearly 20 youths from the university have been on a hunger strike for the past three days pressing for a separate Telangana. Kavi Raju, the student who was shifted, however, had been fasting right since the day the Union Home Minister P Chidambaram backtracked on the statehood question.
Earlier, around 9:00 p.m., the police had tried to shift the fasters but the students managed to encircle them and even got the medicos to raise “Jai Telangana’’ slogans.
Late in the night, the police laid their hands on Kavi Raju. The students tried to blocked the ambulance but without success.
Following this, the student JAC has decided to throw a 1,000-strong ring around the hunger strikers.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders and ministers who have quit their posts — Komati Reddy Venkat Reddy, D Sridhar Babu and J Krishna Rao — were given a warm reception at the Arts College when they visited the campus to extend their solidarity with the fasters.
The students showered flowers on the former ministers and formed a human chain to welcome them.
Addressing the youths, the Congress leaders said they would hold posts again only in a separate State.
“We will meet our party chief Sonia Gandhi and ensure that a separate Telangana is carved,’’ they assured the students.
“We won’t go back on the fight for statehood. It is our responsibility,’’ they added.
Earlier in the day, students of various hostels and departments took out rallies and burnt in effigy leaders opposing Telangana.
In all, three effigies of TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu were burnt.
Women students marched from their hostel to Arts College and burnt film actor Mohan Babu in effigy for his derisory remarks on women.
The actor, after the attack on his son’s film sets, had said that unlike women he did not wear bangles and would not sit silent if anybody indulged in violence against his family.
“Mohan Babu’s comments are an insult to women,’’ they said.
–Agencies