Hyderabad, February 24: In a sudden turnaround of events as the two-day bandh by the Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC) came to an end, students of Osmania University on Wednesday revolted against the OUJAC and declared that the separate statehood agitation would be fought by them without any JAC and all the students would be a part of it from now on.
Mild tension prevailed on the campus in the afternoon with students attacking and ransacking the rooms of a couple of JAC members.
After two days of violent clashes between the police and students, the situation remained tense on Wednesday but the intensity of protests came down. Students pelted stones on the police demanding the release of the students who were picked up by them since yesterday night.
The revolt against OUJAC came after students questioned a JAC leader Rajender about why the JAC leaders did not come to the rescue of students who were allegedly picked up by the police who entered the campus.
Rajender beat up one of the students which prompted the others to thrash him up. Rajinder then fled from the spot.
Students who gathered in large numbers, starting raising slogans against the JAC leaders.
The students, a majority of who are pursuing their post graduation in various streams, held a meet at the Arts College and declared that the ongoing separate statehood agitation would be fought without any banner or JAC.
“We will fight as OU students or Telangana students but not under any JAC,” they announced.
Later, they went to the B and C hostels and after gathering hundreds of students, went to the New Research Scholars hostel where many JAC members reside. They ransacked the rooms of some JAC leaders including those of Rajaram Yadav, P Ravi, M Anil Kumar, Kishore and Suman and later burnt some articles there.
The students also went to Old PG hostel and damaged some window panes.
Later, they gathered in huge numbers before the OU police station and raised slogans against the police and demanded the release of the arrested students.
Around 3 p.m, a couple of students also started pelting stones on the police but they retreated when a group of Telangana lawyers came to the campus to take stock of the situation.
After holding a meeting with the students and the OU police inspector P Ashok, the lawyers’ delegation said they would submit a report to the High Court on the law and order situation.
The lawyers and students demanded that the police remove the barricades put up opposite the police station and which block the entry of students into the campus.
Around 5 pm, police partially removed the barricades and situation remained peaceful for sometime.
The peace was shortlived as the OUJAC leaders tried to come out of the campus from the Old PG hostel road to burn the effigy of Seemandhra MPs. The leaders, including M Anil and Rajaram Yadav were picked up by the police.
Protesting their arrest, students pelted stones on the police who retaliated with tear gas shells. With the barricades removed, security around the campus was tightened in anticipation of sudden strikes by students.
The situation remained peaceful in most other places in Telangana except Warangal district, where two coaches of a passenger train were set on fire by protestors.
The Manuguru passenger train was set on fire between K Samudram and Thallapusanapalli stations this afternoon. Around 3.30 pm., a group of protesters entered one of the coaches and after asking the passengers to get down, they set it on fire. The fire soon spread to another coach.
At a few other districts, protesters staged sit-ins and took out rallies but no major violence was reported.
-Agencies