Permission for beef, pork festivals at Osmania University refused

Amid mounting tension on Osmania University campus over proposed beef festival by some students' groups and a counter pork festival and 'Gau Maata' puja by their rivals, Hyderabad police on Friday decided not to give permission for any of the events.

With some groups going ahead with preparations for beef festival on December 10, their rivals also gearing up to hold pork festival and 'Gau Maata' puja the same day, police said no group would be allowed to hold any festivities.

In a statement, police said the decision was taken to maintain peace and tranquility in the campus.

"The members of the student community and others are requested to cooperate in this regard. All possible steps shall be taken to maintain peace and tranquillity in the Osmania University campus," the statement said.

Some leftist and Dalit students' groups have announced that they will hold a beef festival on Human Rights Day to uphold food right as one among the human rights.

Though the university authorities have refused to allow any festival, the groups said they go ahead with their plan.

On the other hand to counter the beef festival, right wing Hindu groups led by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) have declared that they will conduct worship of cow at the temples on the campus and also take out a rally on the same day. They have also decided to stop the beef festival.

Some other groups opposing the beef festival plan to hold pork festival on the same day. Bharatiya Janata Party's legislator Raja Singh has threatened that if beef festival was allowed, a Dadri-like situation might occur.

Students Federation of India (SFI) and others planning to hold beef festival have lodged a police complaint against Raja Singh. They also approached state human rights commission, seeking protection for the beef festival.