Osmania University students protest, burn Harish Rao’s effigy

Hyderabad: Protests continued to rock the Osmania University campus against the TRS government’s decision to regularise contract employees.
Students burnt an effigy of minister Harish Rao at the OU campus, accusing him of abusing students when they went to submit a representation at the City College on Sunday, where the minister was attending a function. The students demanded that an SC/ST atrocity case should be booked against him.

While rallies continued at the Osmania University campus, the Telangana Students JAC said they will announce their future course of action on Monday. The students said they will intensify their stir if the government does not scrap its decision. “About 20 students from OUJAC went to City College on Sunday to submit a representation to minister Harish Rao.

When we asked them about the status of the decision, he walked away. He also abused us. We tried to block his car. But the police pushed us away. We struggled so much for Telangana, and now they treat us like this,” a student said.

This sparked another dharna at Osmania University on Sunday evening. Students took out a rally from the Arts College campus to Tarnaka cross road. Police stopped them.

“We have nothing against class four employees. But regularising 70,000 contract employees will hit us. The whole purpose of achieving a separate Telangana will be defeated. We are still struggling,” said Osmania University JAC chairman Mandala Bhaskar.