Stir against anti-student policies in AP

Stir against anti-student policies in AP
UNITED NEWS OF INDIA

HYDERABAD, FEBRUARY 8: Students in several parts of Andhra Pradesh today boycotted classes in response to the call given by the joint action committee of the students and youth organisations to protest against the ``anti-student policies'' of the Telugu Desam government.

Police arrested 20 students, including some leaders of student organisations in the Osmania University campus here for preventing other students and lecturers from entering the arts college building.

Some of the schools in the city had declared a holiday.

In Tirupati, police resorted to a mild lathicharge to disperse students who blocked traffic on the busy Tirupati-Chittoor road near the Sri Venkateswara University.

NSUI general secretary G Rudraraj said in a statement that students of all educational institutions including those on the Osmania University campus boycotted their classes joined in the protest.

About 500 students had participated in the ``peaceful bandh'' at the university campus, he said and alleged most of themincluding girl students were lathicharged and arrested.

When contacted, police denied having made any lathicharge on the students but said some of the student leaders were arrested as a precautionary measure.

State Congress chief official spokesman K Rosaiah condemned the alleged lathicharge on the agitating students and demanded that the state government hold dialogue with the leaders of the students community and resolve their demands.