Hyderabad, Jul 14 (IANS): Police have stepped up security at the Ashok Nagar crossroads in Hyderabad to prevent any further protest by job aspirants, demanding the postponement of District Selection Committee (DSC) exams and a deferred timetable for Group II and Group III exams.

Heavy police deployment was made in the area where hundreds of job aspirants staged protests throughout the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.

Several police vehicles were seen patrolling Ashok Nagar, Chikkadpally, and surrounding areas. Police are likely to stop the gathering of protestors by sealing certain roads.

Saturday night’s protest had created tension in the area.

Holding placards and raising slogans against Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, the protestors had demanded the postponement of the exam. The job aspirants squatted on the road and chanted slogans against the Chief Minister and ruling party. The protest had led to traffic jams in Ashok Nagar, RTC Crossroads, Chikkadpally and surrounding areas.

The aspirants are demanding postponement of the exams citing lack of time for preparation between the exams. The DSC exams for recruitment of teachers in government schools are scheduled from July 18 to August 5 while the Group II exam is scheduled for August 7 and 8. It was at Ashok Nagar that unemployed youth and job aspirants had held a massive protest before the Assembly elections in November last year after the death of a student preparing for a competitive exam, allegedly due to the postponement of exams over a paper leak.

The Congress, the BJP and their affiliated youth and student organisations had supported the protest against then BRS government. This time, the BRS and the BJP are backing the protest against the Congress government.