Congress Condemns MLA Jagga Reddy’s Detention for Meeting Arrested Student Leaders

Hyderabad: A political row has erupted after the Osmania University administration refused to permit former Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to address the people within the campus. As per reports, the university has not communicated its decision in writing, but the varsity Executive Council made it clear that the Congress leader is not allowed to visit the campus on May 7 for the party event. 

Miffed over the varsity decision, the Telangana Congress alleged the Vice-Chancellor is working at the behest of Telangana Rashtra Samithi-led state government. MLA Jagga Reddy and V Hanumantha Rao met the Vice-Chancellor and sought his permission for Rahul’s visit to OU campus.

We strongly condemn the arrests of @TSNSUI president @VenkatBalmoor & other NSUI leaders by TRS police for peacefully demanding Rahul Gandhi ji be allowed to enter Osmania University & interract with students.

Why KCR is scared of Rahul Gandhi ji visiting OU?

— Telangana Congress (@INCTelangana) May 2, 2022

Meanwhile, OU student leaders attempted to storm the ministers' quarters on Sunday. NSUI State President Balmuri Venkat led the protest in front of the Vice-Chancellor (V-C) Chamber. While JAC leader for the OU unemployed youth, K Manavata Rai and other leaders like Chenagani Dayakar andLokesh Yadav and party workers stormed the minister's quarters in Banjara Hills to register their protest against the varsity’s refusal for the Congress leader’s campus visit.

సెక్షన్ 143 357 148 353 354 332 448 రెడ్ విత్ 149 కింద కేస్ నమోదు చేసిన ఓయూ పోలీస్ లు.

ప్రభుత్వ విధులకు ఆటంకం కలిగించడం, ప్రభుత్వ ఆస్తులను ధ్వంసం చేయడం, మహిళల పట్ల దురుసుగా ప్రవర్తించడం, క్రిమినల్ ట్రెస్ పాస్ పలు ఆరోపణలతో సెక్షన్లు ఆడ్ చేసిన పోలీసులు pic.twitter.com/ZM4W8wUgy8

— Venkat Balmoor (@VenkatBalmoor) May 2, 2022

The situation took a serious turn when the police arrested the student leaders and activists and arrested MLA Jagga Reddy while he was on his way to meet the arrested student leaders in the police station. Enraged with the police attitude, the Congress leaders decided to meet V-C again on Monday to seek his permission for Rahul Gandhi’s programme on the campus.

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Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) has reacted strongly to the Osmania University’s decision while accusing the varsity officials of working only to please their masters in the ruling TRS party. They said the varsity administration turned a blind eye to the TRS party programmes on the campus and when other parties decided to come to the varsity, they were refusing to grant permission. 

 “It is atrocious to detain the Congress MLA Jagga Reddy who stepped out of his home to visit the NSUI student leaders held for protesting against the varsity’s refusal. I fail to understand whether we live in a democracy or a dictatorship,” TPCC chief Revanth Reddy said while condemning the arrest of a Congress legislator. 

The Telangana Congress chief has directed the party leaders and cadre to burn the effigy of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao across the state on Monday to lodge the protest against the arrests of Balmuri Venkat and other leaders.

The opposition party has decided that a Congress delegation led by MLA Jagga Reddy will visit Osmania Varsity again on Monday to seek permission for Rahul Gandhi’s upcoming visit. The delegation will comprise three MPs, six MLAs and one MLC. The party said it would announce its future protest strategy if the OU officials do not reverse their decision. 

After his release from the Banjara Hills police station, MLA Jaggareddy told media persons that "TRS leaders became Chief Ministers, Ministers and MLAs because of Osmania students who laid down their lives demanding a separate statehood for Telangana."