Tension mounted in Hyderabad Central University following the resumption of duty by controversial Vice Chancellor Appa Rao Podile, with authorities, on Wednesday, barring outsiders from entering the campus and classes being suspended for four days.
When asked about the proposed visit of JNU students’ union president Kanhaiya Kumar to the university, registrar M Sudhakar said:
In view of the situation, classes are suspended from 23 to 26 March. We have taken a decision not to allow any outsider, including media persons and political parties, on the campus.M Sudhakar, Registrar
The police said additional forces have been deployed on the campus as a precautionary measure and pickets have been set up around Podile’s official residence.
The move comes after the VC sought protection following Tuesday’s incidents when his residence was vandalised allegedly by a group of students who were opposing his return as the Vice Chancellor after a two-month leave.
The situation is peaceful. Forces have been deployed to maintain law and order.TV Sashidhar Reddy, Joint Commissioner of Cyberabad Police
The police resorted to lathi-charge on the students who were protesting outside the VC’s official residence.
The students had raised slogans against the Vice Chancellor, barged into his residence, broken window panes, smashed doors and the television set, among other items.
The students demanded that the VC be arrested immediately as he was one of the accused in Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula’s alleged suicide case on 17 January.
Podile, who is in the eye of a storm over Vemula’s suicide, had gone on leave on 24 January as the agitating students demanded his resignation and held vigorous protests seeking “justice” for the Dalit student.
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