Beef festival: Osmania University security beefed up

Hyderabad: Ahead of Thursday’s beef festival planned by students on the Osmania University campus, the police has stepped up security to avert any  incident. The Hyderabad and Cyberabad police have issued prohibitory orders banning public gatherings and speeches.

Asked about the situation in Osmania University, Director-General of Police Anurag Sharma said “There is no beef festival here.”

The east zone police including armed reserve platoons will be deployed inside the OU campus to stop the students from conducting beef and pork festival.

“We are deploying 15 platoons of armed reserve police on the Osmania University campus besides the local police. All measures have been taken to maintain peace,” said East Zone DCP A. Ravinder

Sources in the East Zone police said the police would try to confine the festival organisers to the hostels before they start the event. Police will arrest students if they start food distribution. Police is planning to stop right wing activists from outside entering the campus to avoid clashes with festival organisers. Police will also be deployed near Indiranagar, where Goshamahal MLA Raja Singh is planning to conduct a cow protection awareness campaign.


Students: Fest will be held; Cops: Ready to prohibit it

Osmania University remained tense on Wednesday, ahead of the proposed beef festival slated for Thursday by a group of 24 Dalit and left wing student organisations despite a civil court issuing orders prohibiting any such festival and the High Court backing it.

A large number of police personnel was deployed outside Narmada hostel on the OU campus to prevent students from holding the event in spite of the court orders.

ACP, Kacheguda, C. Lakshminarayana said the High Court had given orders to the police not to allow any sort of festival in the university and to ensure peace on the campus. Asked if those violating orders would be arrested, he said the police would act to uphold the HC’s orders.

One of the students raised stated that the civil court had prohibited a certain M. Krishna of the ‘Beef festival committee’ from conducting the festival but did not name the Democratic Cultural Forum or any of its members who are the actual organisers. To this the official said the police would adhere to the High Court’s orders and not allow any festival to take place regardless of who conducts it.

OU Registrar Prof. E. Suresh Kumar said the admission of any student found violating the orders of the university administration, the judiciary or the police would cancelled for misbehaviour and misconduct as per university rules.

Students who were directly involved or were supporting the beef festival were worried that the police might enter the hostel and arrests them. In the morning there were protests in the university against the beef festival by ABVP activists.

Implement HC orders: BJP MLA Raja Singh

Goshamahal BJP MLA Raja Singh has asked the state government and police to strictly implement the HC direction banning Thursday’s beef festival on the OU campus.

“We will not tolerate it if some vested interests try to hurt the sentiments of Hindus by organising the beef festival. I welcome the HC direction and it’s now the duty of the state government to implement the order in letter and spirit,” he said. Mr Raja Singh said he was organising the Go Puja at the Goshala located on Lower Tank Bund Road at 8 am with Swami Paripoornanand in attendance.

“Much more than politics, I am committed to protecting the Hindu dharma. If the beef festival is held despite the HC direction, I will march to the OU campus and stop the festival,” he said.

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