Hyderabad, December 31: While welcoming the Centre’s announcement to hold talks with political parties on the Telangana issue, the Osmania University Students Joint Action Committee (JAC) insists that political parties should first ensure that the cases against students are withdrawn before the talks begin.
“Politicians should ensure that the cases against students are withdrawn before they go for the talks with the Centre,” JAC member D Yellanna said here today.
The JAC decided to go ahead with the proposed Vidyarthi Garjana on January 5 in spite of the invitation from the Centre and released posters and pamphlets on the proposed rally. It is learnt that the JAC is likely to invite BJP senior leader Sushma Swaraj as the chief guest at the Garjana.
The JAC renewed its call for boycott of New Year-eve celebrations.
Meanwhile, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) State secretary Kadiam Raju asked people to welcome the New Year with ‘Jai Telangana rangolis’ in front of their houses.
In a related development, Telangana Youth Force (TYF) gave a call for boycott of all the products being endorsed by the family members and relatives of leaders and film actors who opposed creation of Telangana.
“Stars like Ramcharan Tej (son of Praja Rajyam chief Chiranjeevi), Allu Arjun (nephew of Chiranjeevi) and Mahesh Babu (son of superstar Krishna) are acting as brand ambassadors for soft drinks and we appeal to the people of Telangana to boycott the products endorsed by them in protest,” TYF member MS Ajay said.
Ajay, who is also a member of the OU JAC, however, felt that the Centre’s invitation for talks might be a plan to water down the proposed Garjana and said they would go ahead with the proposed programme.
Meanwhile, protests continued on the Osmania University campus today also. Nearly 70 students from the Ladies Hostel formed a human chain by locking their hands and chanted slogans of Jai Telangana.
Students of E-2 Hostel, with ‘Jai Telangana’ written on their torsos, tried to march half-naked towards Tarnaka. They were halted in their step at the Arts College by the police.
Members of the Telangana Lecturers Forum, and government and corporate college lecturers went in a procession from the Ladies hostel to the Arts College on the campus demanding introduction of a Bill in Parliament on separate Telangana State.
–Agencies