Osmania University tense as students clash with police

HYDERABAD: Tension prevailed on the Osmania University (OU) campus here today after students clashed with police which lobbed teargas shells on protesters indulging in heavy stone-pelting.

Trouble started after scores of students under the aegis of Telangana Vidhyarthi Parishad tried to take out a procession from the OU campus to the state Assembly, demanding the state government declare September 17 as 'Telangana Liberation Day'.

They wanted to commemorate the region's freedom from the erstwhile Nizam rule.

Despite repeatedly being told that there was no permission for their rally, protesters argued with police and hurled stones at them near the NCC gate on the OU campus, a senior police officer said.

"The students resorted to heavy stone pelting on police personnel after they were prevented from taking out a rally towards the Assembly," Deputy Commissioner of Police(East Zone) Y Gangadhar said.

"We clearly told them there is no permission for their rally in view of the ongoing monsoon session of the Assembly. The stone pelting is continuing and forces fired teargas shells to disperse the protesters," he said.

Police also took some students in preventive custody. Angered over this, another group of students indulged in stone pelting, demanding immediate release of their colleagues.

The five-day monsoon session of Andhra Pradesh Legislature commenced here today even as the Hyderabad Police issued prohibitory orders around the AP Legislative Assembly/Council building for six days.