Indefinite fasts continue in OU on T-issue

Hyderabad,Dec 26: The indefinite fast undertaken by students at the Osmania University campus in Hyderabad in support of a separate Telangana, entered the third day on Saturday even as the varsity administration declared holidays, for all its constituent and affiliated colleges till January 5 next year.According to sources, owing to security concerns and in view of the ongoing agitation, the administration has decided to close the varsity up to January 5 and examinations to be held during this period have also been postponed.It was also decided to change the examination centre of UGC National Eligibility Test (NET) scheduled on December 27 at the Arts College to Professor G Ram Reddy Centre for Distance Education.About 17 pro-Telangana students had launched a fast-unto-death in front of the Arts College on Thursday after the Centre backtracked on the statehood issue.Osmania University Vice-Chancellor T Tirupati Rao visited the hunger camp expressing solidarity with the agitating students and asked them to express their protests in a peaceful and democratic manner and also to focus on maintaining their academic schedule.

Meanwhile, security has been enhanced at the Osmania University campus, Kakatiya University and Telangana University in Palamuru with deployment of additional forces apart from the existing forces drawn from Rapid Action Force and other paramilitary personnel following attack on Telugu Desam leader Nagam Janardhan Reddy by students and pro-Telangana activists on Thursday.However,the JAC Students Association, denied involvement in the attack incident.