Tension mounted at Osmania University in Hyderabad on Monday as student activists protested a recent university circular banning demonstrations. A group of students held a rally, voicing their opposition to the vice chancellor and Telangana government, while chanting slogans. The police responded by detaining several protesters and taking them to the Osmania University police station.
Earlier, students burned copies of the controversial circular, and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) called for a strike on Monday, demanding its revocation. In preparation for the protest, a heavy police presence was deployed on the campus throughout the day.
A number of students staged a protest outside the Osmania University College of Arts and Social Sciences building. Videos circulating on social media show students, including women, being forcibly dragged away by the police.
“In recent times, it is observed that there are several incidents of students/student groups have been entering the Departments/ Colleges Centres Administrative Building, Osmania University and staging demonstrations and dharnas resulting in disruption of the administrative work and giving the wrong perception of the University to the Society,” the circular read.
The circular stated that such incidents have a “negative impact” on the university’s smooth operations, causing delays in both administrative and academic progress.
