Tension prevailed at the Osmania University in Hyderabad on Thursday night as pro-Telangana students went berserk, throwing stones at shops and private properties in localities close to the varsity campus.
The students took out a rally from OU campus to Tarnaka, second time during the day, in protest against the Andhra Pradesh government's decision to go ahead with the written test for recruitment of police sub-inspectors.
While taking out the rally towards Tarnaka, the agitators pelted stones at policemen, shops, state-owned RTC buses and private vehicles, police said.
At least 10 Road Transport Corporation buses were damaged in the stone pelting. Security personnel lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the angry crowd near Big Bazar shopping mall at Tarnaka, they said.
The students also burnt effigies of Chief Minister K Rosaiah and Home Minister Sabita Indra Reddy to protest their alleged adamant attitude in not cancelling the written test.
The rally taken out by the students caused massive traffic jams at various spots. Additional police forces, including RAF personnel, have been deployed in the OU campus, East Zone DCP Yoganand said.
Meanwhile, condemning the alleged lathicharge against students at the Osmania University in Hyderabad on Thursday night, Telangana Rashtra Samithi called for a shut down in Telangana on Saturday.
"TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao has called for a Telangana bandh day after tomorrow in protest against the police lathi-charge on students of Osmania University," TRS said in a release in Hyderabad.
The party held Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah responsible for the violence at the varsity.
Earlier in the day, TRS leaders and activists held road blockades at several places in the city and elsewhere in the region in protest against the government's decision.
The Telangana groups and leaders from all major parties have been demanding that the Congress government postpone the written for recruitment of SIs until the Hyderabad free zone issue is resolved.
According to Telangana students, justice will not be done to them if Hyderabad remains a free zone for government recruitment. They demanded that the city should be a part of Zone-6 that comprises other Telangana districts.
The AP assembly passed a resolution earlier this year, asking the Centre to make Hyderabad a part of Zone-VI. Free zone status provides equal rights in government jobs in the state capital for people from all over the state.
Meanwhile, prohibitory orders were imposed for a week from Friday in the city to maintain law and order. Organising public meetings and processions in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad without obtaining prior permission has been prohibited till November 25, Police Commissioner A K Khan said.
