Members of various students' organisations were today taken into preventive custody by police, foiling their attempt to take out rallies on a call by Telangana Joint Action Committee over the unemployment issue.
As police had already denied permission for the rally or public meeting here, adequate forces, drawn from various districts and Hyderabad city, were deployed at all strategic locations to maintain law and order and prohibitory orders were clamped as a precautionary measure.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (East Zone) A Ravindar said TJAC Chairman M Kodandaram and 20 others were taken into preventive arrest in the early hours today as "he (Kodandaram) insisted on taking out a rally and going ahead with the public meeting".
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The TJAC had called for a protest rally today demanding employment for youth from Sundaraiah Vignan Kendram here to Indira Park. It was to be followed by a public meeting at Dharna Chowk in Indira Park but police had denied them permission for the same.
The TJAC is an umbrella organisation of different pro- Telangana groups that had spearheaded the movement for a separate state.
Mild tension prevailed in Osmania University after a group of students from the varsity were prevented by police to march towards Indira Park.
Police foiled the attempts of students, belonging to different organisations at Osmania University, Nizam College, Secunderabad PG College, to take out rallies and took several of them into preventive custody.
Besides, several TJAC supporters were also taken into preventive custody in different districts of Telangana while they were on their way to Hyderabad.
A protester who poured some inflammable liquid from a bottle on the Arts College premises on the OU campus in order to "immolate" himself was immediately taken away.
"Over 50 protesters were taken into preventive custody at OU," Osmania University police station inspector V Ashok Reddy told PTI, adding that the situation is now peaceful.
Members of different Left-affiliated student groups argued with police personnel and raised anti-government slogans and also against Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. They demanded immediate release of Kodandaram and others.
A student leader alleged that police resorted to caning. However, the charge was denied by police.
The student demanded the Telangana government to immediately take up measures to fill up over one lakh government vacancies.
Police put up barricades near Sundaraiah Vignan Kendram
and took many members of different organisations into preventive custody after they assembled near it.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner M Mahendar Reddy earlier appealed to the public not to come to Hyderabad to participate in the rally/dharna proposed by the TJAC.
The Hyderabad Police chief warned of initiating action, as per law, against those who attempt to violate the prohibitory orders.
"All areas have been covered under CCTV surveillance which will be used as evidence for taking appropriate legal action against them. The members of the public are requested to cooperate with police in this regard and ensure that law and order is maintained in the city," Reddy said.
Meanwhile, alleging that the TRS government disappointed unemployed youth who had high hopes of finding employment after formation of Telangana,the main opposition Congress, CPI and CPI(M) slammed the state government for trying to put down a protest called by the TJAC to highlight the issue.
"The unemployed youth had high hopes that jobs will come after the formation of Telangana. But, the TRS government disappointed them. The employment issue has been neglected during the TRS rule though it started 33 months ago. The arrest of Kodandaram (TJAC Chairman) is undemocratic," Telangana Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy said.
"Arresting Kodandaram means insulting Telangana. Government has to pay a price if his health suffered. Police are over-reacting all over the state. They are terrorising unemployed youth. Is this what we secured Telangana for," CPI state secretary Chada Venkata Reddy said.
Condemning police action, the CPI(M) demanded immediate release of those taken into custody and that the state government should announce a specific action plan to fill up government vacancies.
(Reopens BOM18)
Wondering how many jobs were created during the
previous administrations of TDP and Congress, Telangana Home Minister N Narasimha Reddy said the TRS Government has been filling up vacancies in Government.
About 31,000 jobs have been created since TRS Government was formed in 2014, he said, adding that more employment opportunities would be created in future.
He asked why those belonging to Telangana were "conspiring to disturb the Telangana government".
Meanwhile, TJAC Chairman Kodandaram alleged that the Government and police adopted undemocratic methods, including an "attack" on his house (over his preventive custody).
The JAC would decide its future course of action after holding consultations among its constituents, he said.
