Osmania University in Telangana bans protests on campus, BJP reacts
text_fields
Representational. Photo courtesy of The Hindu
New Delhi: Osmania University in Telangana issued a circular banning ‘trespassing, staging dharnas and agitations, raising slogans’ on the campus, India Today reported.
The university warned students of legal action in the event of them involving in the ‘above-mentioned’ activities.
The circular dated March 13 termed the university ‘a highly reputed educational institution meant for facilitating learning in a conducive and peaceful environment’.
The circular further said: ‘In recent times, it is observed that there are several incidents of students/student groups have been entering the Departments/Colleges Centres Administrative Building, and staging demonstrations and dharnas resulting in disruption of the administrative work and giving wrong perception of the University to the Society.’
Alongside banning trespassing, staging dharnas, agitations as well as raising slogans, authorities barred students from using filthy language against the University staff.
Both the BJP and BRS have come down heavily on the decision with the BJP leader Ramchander Rao calling it an ‘undeclared emergency’.
BRS leader Krishank targeting the Congress over the incident termed the party ‘intolerant’.
BRS leader Krishank responded to the University’s decision: ‘The Congress government in Telangana which claims to be the democratic government and their leader Rahul Gandhi holds a red Constitution across India and flashes it but surprisingly, the historic Osmania University campus which has been the epicentre of protests for the Telangana agitation which brought the statehood also, the Congress government has banned democratic protests. The Congress government is so intolerant that they can't even receive criticism.’
BJP leader Ramchander Rao claimed that the government ‘directed’ the authorities of the university to ensure that ‘no Dharna or gathering happens on the university campus’.
‘The university campus has been the hotbed of agitation, and it was students who helped carve out the state of Telangana. The university is doing it at the behest of the govt. The government wants to suppress the students and their demands regarding employment and other things. BJP condemn such act of the government,’ he reportedly said.