Police halt march for jobs

Hyderabad: Tension, incidents of sporadic violence and large-scale arrests marred the rally of unemployed youth on Wednesday. The Osmania University JAC has given a call for bandh of all educational institutions on Thursday in protest against the largescale arrests of students by the police.

In a pre-dawn swoop, TJAC chairman Prof M Kodandaram was taken into preventive custody. Around 3.15 am on Wednesday, around 300 police personnel led by the East Zone DCP Ravinder reached the house of Prof. Kodandaram.

JAC leaders, who were along with Kodandaram, questioned the timing of the arrival of the police and said they would surrender after 6 am. But, the police officials said that they had right to take into custody anyone at anytime and entered the house by breaking open the doors.

The JAC chief said that this was not the time to arrest and assured to surrender after 6 am. He said that this never happened even during the Telangana agitation. While Kodandaram was kept at Kamatipura Police Station, others were shifted to Kanchanbagh and other police stations.

Many leaders, including former MP M Anjan Kumar Yadav was arrested when they went to Kamatipura PS to meet Kodandaram to express his solidarity.As the news of arrest of TJAC chairman Prof M Kodandaram spread, the students started congregating at the Arts College to take out a rally in batches towards NCC gate.

Besides demanding that the government release job notifications, they also demanded immediate release of TJAC Chairman. The police, which was present in large numbers thwarted the attempts of the students to cross the OU gates and took them into custody.

The protests continued as students came out in batches. The students clashed with police at Osmania University and Nizam College campuses after they were prevented from taking out the rally. Hundreds of TJAC activists took out a rally from OU Students Hostel at about 10 am.

However, they were stopped at Law College. Some students resorted to stone pelting at the police near NCC Gate. The wind-screen of a private car was also damaged near the Law College. Several OU students were taken into the custody by the police.

Police also foiled the attempt of Secunderabad PG College students to take out a rally to Indira Park and took them into custody. Similar scenes were witnessed at Nizam College where students boycotted the classes and made a vain bid to take out a rally. Some stones were pelted at police personnel. A Sub-Inspector Srikanth suffered minor injuries in the incident.

The TJAC had originally proposed to take out a rally from Sundaraiyya Vignana Kendram in Baghlingampally to Indira Park. But it was not permitted by the police authorities. Police did not allow visitors towards Sundaraiah Vignana Kendram, where the JAC leaders were planning to take out rally. Some of the JAC leaders, including Vimalakka were arrested from the venue. Later, Justice Chandra Kumar, who came to SVK to express solidarity and protest the arrest of JAC chairman, was also arrested.

Several activists of CPI (M) and other Left-wing parties were arrested near RTC crossroads. They were all shifted to Goshamahal Stadium. Many activists of TJAC, who were coming from various districts, were taken into custody before their entry into Hyderabad. Nearly 200 police personnel were deployed at Indira Park to foil the TJAC's rally.

Meanwhile, Susheela wife of Kodandaram approached the SHRC over the arrest of TJAC chairman. She also lodged a complaint with the Commissioner of Police over the high-handed behavior of police who had barged into the house by breaking open the doors.