Hyderabad: Chaos erupted at the University of Hyderabad on March 30 as the police clashed with the students protesting against the Telangana government's plan to redevelop the 400 acres of land adjacent to their campus. The confrontation sparked a political storm, with the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) accusing the police of manhandling protesters, and reportedly dragging them by their hair and assaulting them.
Several students, who claimed that earthmovers and bulldozers had been brought in for the redevelopment project, were detained by the police but released later, as per a report by NDTV.
Many videos of the altercation surfaced on social media. In the clips, many students could be seen climbing atop the machines and chanting slogans against the high-handedness of the police. Have a look at it here:
Why Are the Students Protesting?
According to reports, the state government wants to establish an IT park on the land bordering the campus and has reportedly proposed auctioning it. However, a section of students opposed the move and staged protests citing environmental concerns.
Several videos of the bulldozers arriving on the site late at night, also surfaced on social media. Have a look:
Defending its decision, the government has claimed that the land in question does not belong to the university and that the project aims to boost investment in the state.
BRS’ Statement On the Controversy
BRS President and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, accused the cops of using force to suppress the opposition over the land clearance. Claiming that the students were beaten and dragged by their hair, he added, "Girls were crying that their clothes were torn.” The party also alleged that over 200 people were detained by the police during the protest.
Criticising Rahul Gandhi and the Congress, BRS added, "This is a market of betrayal, not mohabbat ki dukaan," referencing Gandhi’s past campaign slogan. The party also accused Congress of being hypocritical by contradicting its own constitutional rhetoric.
The police, however, has revealed that only 53 students were detained on grounds of obstructing officials and assaulting police personnel. An official told NDTV that cases will be registered against them.
Condemning the crackdown, the university's student union claimed that their protest was peaceful and accused authorities of "manhandling" the protesters.
CM A Revanth Reddy dismissed the students' claims, alleging external provocation in the matter. He added that the land has been a government property since 1974 and is part of Hyderabad’s IT hub, and not the university.
