Hyderabad, January 08: Osmania University campus continued to be gripped in tension for the second day on Friday as unrelenting students stepped up their violent protests by clashing with police, burning an RTC bus and a police jeep. Six buses were also damaged on Tarnaka – Habsiguda stretch.
It was a day of prolonged battle between security forces and students with the latter resorting to hurl and scoot tactics at several places. Police responded with firing of buck shots in the air and a seemingly endless lobbing of teargas shells.
Trouble started around noon when a students’ rally from the Arts College to NCC gate turned violent with students hurling stones at policemen. After observing restraint for some time, the police chased away the agitating students. Even as the see-saw battle continued here, another group of students began hurling stones from ‘A’ ground onto the paramilitary forces unit deployed near Aradhana theatre.
Some protesters came onto roads and damaged six buses forcing the police to stop traffic movement in Tarnaka-Habsiguda route. Tension spread to the fringe areas when unidentified persons burnt a private school bus parked on roadside in Medipally. Another batch of youths hurled two petrol bombs at a petrol tanker coming from Habsiguda junction near Indian Institute of Chemical Technology. A major incident was avoided with authorities rushing a fire-tender to douse the flames before they spread to its fuel tank. As the situation appeared to be going out of hand, senior officers were instructed to foot-patrol the stretch from IICT to Tarnaka with armed policemen to ensure such incidents did not recur.
Pitched battle
Just when police heaved a sigh of relief as traffic movement was restored on the route, nearly 300 students rushed towards Osmania University police station, hurling stones at huge police contingents deployed there. The pitched battle continued till evening with students from B-Hostel showering stones on policemen and the latter returning them. Retreating when police burst tear gas shells and turning up after few minutes with more vigour, the students tested patience of the police for over three hours. A police jeep coming from Law College was mobbed by students at Arts College and was burnt after forcing the driver to alight. An RTC bus was set on fire near Manikeswarinagar, adjacent to the campus, in the evening.
Other parts of the city, by and large, remained peaceful but miscreants burnt an RTC bus at Medipally and damaged six more on Habsiguda-Tarnaka stretch. Managements of almost all private educational institutions voluntarily declared holiday responding to the bandh call of the Osmania University Students Joint Action Committee. With nil attendance of students, it was an unofficial holiday in Government schools and colleges.
–Agencies