CITYROCKZ

HYDERABAD: A panicky state government and a clueless administration on Tuesday rushed in nine battalions of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) from New Delhi to meet any challenge in view of the fluid situation in the state – deteriorating health of TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao and the ’shanthi yatra’ programme of TRS and the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the students on December 10 to the assembly.

The Telangana Rashtra Samiti and JAC are trying to mobilise a large number of students and sympathisers of the separate statehood movement from the neighbouring districts. “We are working out various strategies to ensure that our cadres are not stopped on the borders of neighbouring districts. Our rally will be peaceful, we assure you,” said TRS leader Harish Rao, nephew of KCR.

According to sources, the government feels that unless there is enough police force in place on Thursday the agitators could get violent and the situation could go out of hand. The state administration reaction is based on central intelligence inputs about chances of Maoists trying to precipitate matters. But some analysts said the inputs are mere exaggerations.

“They see red elements everywhere,” a local senior cop asserted. The state government has also ordered vacating the hostels of Osmania and Kakatiya University to prevent a safe haven for students participating in the agitations.

From Wednesday onwards, the police would resort to checking of vehicles and nakabandi on the borders of the GHMC limits and also at various places in the city.

IG (vigilance & enforcement) A R Anuradha said: “The police are keeping a close vigil on the movement of outsiders in universities. There is no restriction on the police to enter into university campus and it is not correct to say that police have no right to enter the campus. The police will not remain a silent spectator if anyone tries to violate the law,” she said. She said checks were conducted in Manikeshwar Nagar close to OU campus on Monday on a tip off that some anti-social elements entered the colony and were being provided shelter. In the meantime, a group of students started pelting stones at police forcing them to resort to lathicharge. Eighteen persons were arrested and 23 vehicles damaged in the clash.

Posted in HYDERABAD NEWS