OU turns into a virtual battle field

Hyderabad, Jan 20: The Osmania University campus on Wednesday turned into a virtual battle-field with the students resorting to stone-pelting and arson and the paramilitary forces counter-attacking them to contain violence.The students, who were taking out a rally with Venugopala Reddy’s body to the State Assembly in a procession, were interrupted by the police at the Ladies Hostel on the OU campus. When the procession was brought to a halt, the students turned violent against the police and even pelted stones at them.

The police then resorted to a lathicharge.With students going on the rampage, the police fired teargas shells and  rubber bullets  in order to  drive the students away. In the ensuing clash, some policemen and  about 15 students were injured and rushed to the hospital.The infuriated students then vented their ire on the police vehicles by torching two of them. Heavy smoke which billowed from the burnt vehicles enveloped the whole campus.On learning that the police had taken control of Venugopal’s body and shifted it to the OU police station, the students turned their ire at the OU Police Station and  attacked the station, which was thwarted by the policemen on guard at the station.

The students then proceeded to the police tents pitched on the OU campus, raising slogans against the police to ''Go Back'' before they tried to bring the tents down.The police, in retaliation, removed all the tents of the students on the OU campus further escalating the tension.Except for JAC convenor Kodanda Ram and a couple of other political leaders, no politician turned up at the Osmania University to pay their respects to Venugopal Reddy.At Gun Park near the Legislative Assembly, Telangana leaders from Congress took out a protest rally.