HCU on the boil: Classes suspended, no outsiders to be allowed

Tension mounted in Hyderabad Central University following the resumption of duty by controversial Vice Chancellor Appa Rao Podile with authorities today barring outsiders from entering the campus and classes being suspended for four days.

"In view of the situation, classes are suspended from March 23 to 26. We have taken a decision not to allow any outsider, including mediapersons and political parties, on the campus," Registrar M Sudhakar told PTI when asked about the proposed visit of JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar to the university.

Police said additional forces have been deployed on the campus as a precautionary measure and pickets set up around Podile's official residence.

The move comes after the VC sought protection following yesterday's incidents when his residence was vandalised allegedly by a group of students who were opposing his return as the Vice Chancellor after a two-month leave.

"The situation is peaceful. Forces have been deployed to maintain law and order," Joint Commissioner of Cyberabad Police TV Sashidhar Reddy said.

Police resorted to lathi-charge on the students who were protesting outside the VC's official residence.

The students had raised slogans against the Vice Chancellor, barged into his residence, broken window panes, smashed doors and television set among other items.

The students demanded that the VC be arrested immediately as he was one of the accused in Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula's alleged suicide case on January 17.

Podile, who is in the eye of a storm over Vemula's suicide, had proceeded on leave on January 24 as the agitating students demanded his resignation and held vigorous protests seeking "justice" for the Dalit student.