Osmania University, once the hotbed of student politics and agitations in Telangana, prohibited protests and sit-in demonstrations on the campus and its constituent colleges and administrative buildings, leading to a massive uproar. Union Minister for Mines and BJP state president G Kishan Reddy and BRS working president KT Rama Rao slammed the Congress government over the move.

The university authorities climbed down following the outrage and issued a statement clarifying that it was not a blanket ban and that the university fully supports students’ right to peaceful protest.

Advertisement

A circular issued on 13 March stated, “Osmania University is a highly reputed educational institution meant to facilitate learning in a conducive and peaceful environment. In recent times, it was observed that there were several incidents of students/student groups entering the departments/colleges/centres/administrative building of Osmania University and staging demonstrations and dharnas, resulting in the disruption of the administrative work and giving a wrong perception of the university to society.” It further stated that these incidents came in the way of the “smooth functioning” of the university, leading to delay in administrative and academic progress as well as security concerns. The circular prohibited trespassing, staging dharnas and agitations, raising slogans, preventing administrative staff from discharging their duty, and using unparliamentary and filthy language against university staff and authorities.

The various student unions at the university predictably opposed the circular and demanded its immediate withdrawal while tagging it as “undemocratic”. The students gathered in front of the iconic Arts College and raised slogans against the Vice-Chancellor. BRS working president KT Rama Rao was also quick to call out the Congress government in the state saying, “Suppressing student voices is a clear symbol of dictatorship. The Congress government in Telangana is now revealing its true colours by curbing students’ fundamental right to protest. Osmania University, which played a crucial role in the Telangana movement, is now being turned into a prison under this oppressive rule.” He was, however, reminded that the BRS had attempted something similar in Osmania University during its rule.

Recalling Osmania University’s rich history as the epicentre of agitations and movements during the Nizam’s rule and the struggle for statehood, Union Minister and state BJP president G Kishan Reddy said, “This had happened during KCR’s regime as well when they prohibited agitations and processions. It happened earlier under the Congress, then TRS (now BRS) did the same, and now Revanth Reddy has come with another circular banning processions, slogans, demonstrations, and protests… If Telangana decides to protest, no government can stop it.”

After the massive outrage, the university clarified that the circular had been “misinterpreted” and “misunderstood”.

It stated that the directive does not impose “a blanket ban on student protests or agitations in open spaces within the university” and that the restrictions applied only to the academic and administrative spaces within the college departments and administrative premises.