Students' stir turns violent

Visakhapatnam/Tirupati, Dec 12: Tension prevailed across the university campuses in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions as the protests and rasta rokos organized by students demanding unified Andhra turned violent.Three students of Venkateswara University were injured after police canecharged them while the supporters of unified Andhra Pradesh were staging a dharna near Kammavaripalle in Puthalapattu mandalam in Chittoor district on Saturday.

The students of Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati continued their protests on the second day raising slogans against the proposed bifurcation of the state, hurled stones at the police on being prevented from entering the university campus. They picked an argument with the Superintendent of Police. As the situation went out of control, the police used mild force to disperse them.The police arrested three student leaders at Sri Krishnadevaraya University in Anantapur as their protests against the proposed bifurcation of state turned violent. The police kept them in Itukulapalli police station.

However, a group of students stormed the police station before releasing their leaders.The students of Nagarjuna University in Guntur staged a dharna on Saturday by blocking the traffic on national highway between Vijayawada and Guntur.The students, teaching and non-teaching staff of Andhra University continued their protest in Visakhapatnam on Saturday demanding a united Andhra Pradesh. Revenue Employees Union and Bar Association extended their support to the bandh.