Hyderabad, July 18 (IANS): Some Osmania University students were injured Friday when police baton charged them while they were protesting the government decision to regularise contract employees, saying this would deprive them of job opportunities.
Hundreds of students of the university took out a rally from Arts College and staged a road blockade at Tarnaka crossroads, causing traffic jam in the busy area.
Police forcibly lifted the agitating students and also resorted to baton charge to disperse them, leading to a few students sustaining injuries in the scuffle.
Students alleged that regularisation of contract employees will deprive them of job opportunities.
Raising slogans and holding placards, they demanded that the government withdraw its decision.
Police arrested many students and shifted them to Osmania University police station. Later, a large number of students gathered outside the police station demanding the release of the arrested, leading to tension on the campus.
This was the first protest by the university students after formation of the separate Telangana state last month. The university was the epicentre of protests by the students for separate state.
"We had been protesting for five years hoping that we will get jobs and justice in our state but regularisation of services of contract employees will deprive us of the opportunities," said a girl student.
She reminded K. Chandrasekhar Rao that he became chief minister because of the protests of students. She alleged that police beat up students and did not spare even girls.
The state cabinet Wednesday decided to regularise all contract and outsourcing employees in the newly-created state. There are nearly 80,000 contract employees in various departments.