Police halt protest rally by UoH students, faculty over land dispute

HYDERABAD: A protest rally by students and faculty of the University of Hyderabad (UoH) against the Telangana government's plans to develop a 400-acre land parcel in Kancha Gachibowli bordering the varsity, was stopped by the police here on Wednesday.

The UoH Teachers Association led a rally from Ambedkar auditorium to East Campus in solidarity with the agitating students. According to students, the police barricaded the entire East Campus area while heavy machinery was deployed to clear the site. As the protesters attempted to advance, the police stopped and dispersed them using "mild force".

The demonstrators raised slogans such as "police go back". A protesting student told media that the police resorted to lathi-charge on students and faculty. However, a police official denied the claims and said, "They were prevented from taking out the rally."

The University of Hyderabad Students’ Union (UoHSU) and other unions and parties aligned with it have launched an indefinite protest and announced boycott of classes from April 1, demanding the removal of police personnel and earth-moving machinery from the campus.

Also read AISA launches indefinite sit-in at AUD, demands revocation of student's suspension

The student groups and environmental activists have voiced opposition to the proposal to undertake development work at the site, citing environmental conservation concerns. The Telangana government's plans to develop IT infrastructure and others on 400 acres of land over which student groups of UoH held protests intensified on March 31 with the government maintaining that the land parcel belonged to it and not the varsity.

However, the UoH Registrar contradicted the government's claim that the boundary of the land in question was finalised. Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu, both alumni of UoH, had on Tuesday asserted that the government has not taken even an inch of the university's land.