Hyderabad, Jan 19: The Joint Action Committee of Telangana on Tuesday called for a 24-hour bandh for Wednesday following the death of Venugopala Reddy, a student of Lalitha Engineering College, Ghatkesar, demanding immediate commencement of official procedure for Telangana statehood.Earlier, the JAC of students called for a bandh of all educational institutions on Tuesday to mark the death of Venugopal, who committed suicide for the Telangana cause.
The students of Osmania and other universities have also boycotted their examinations, which were scheduled to commence on Tuesday.The unrest among the students over the demand for postponing the semester on one hand, and the death of Venugopal Reddy on the other , have mounted tensions on Osmania University campus. Heavy police reinforcements have been drafted on the campus and restrictions have been imposed on the entry of outsiders including the media persons.
Meanwhile, sensing trouble, the Osmania University authorities have suspended the semester examinations scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.The Telangana JAC convenor Prof. Kodandaram, who went to the spot was gheraoed by the students who argued with him to summon all the legislators hailing from Telangana region and assemble at Tagore auditorium and take oath to quit their posts immediately.According to JAC leaders, dropping of one semester examination would not be a great sacrifice in the face of the struggle for Telangana statehood, which will certainly make a big difference in the lives of the people of Telangana.
Addressing the students, Prof Kodandaram called for Telangana bandh on Wednesday. Congress legislator R. Damodar Reddy also reached the spot and was mobbed and heckled by the students who demanded that he resign immediately.The angry students began dharnas at the Tagore auditorium and prevented the police from shifting the body of Venugopal. DIG R.S. Praveen Kumar and DCP V.B. Kamalasan Reddy who reached the campus faced the ire of the students.