Hyderabad, April 1 (IANS) Leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were detained by police on Tuesday when they were heading to the University of Hyderabad, where students are protesting against the Telangana government’s plans to auction 400 acres of land next to their campus.

Police stopped the BJP MLAs and MLCs at MLA Quarters in Hyderguda on the ground that there was no permission to visit the campus. As the BJP legislators tried to proceed towards the university, the police detained them and whisked them away.

They said their protest would continue till the government dropped its decision to develop the land and auction it. BJP leader Payal Shankar alleged that the Congress government was following the policies pursued by the previous BRS government.

BJP floor leader in Telangana Assembly A. Maheshwar Reddy was placed under house arrest to stop him from joining the protest at the university. Police personnel were deployed outside the residence of Maheshwar Reddy in Banjara Hills.

BJP leaders alleged that the government is destroying the environment by auctioning the land in Kacnha Gachibowli. They claim that the land is under the forest department.

BRSV, the student wing of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), staged a protest at KBR Park against the proposed auctioning of the land. The protesters were carrying placards with slogans calling for protecting the environment.

Student groups and environmental activists are opposing the government’s decision to clear the land and auction it for the development of multi-use infrastructure and IT parks.

The opposition parties have condemned police highhandedness towards students protesting against the proposed auctioning of the land. They accused the police of dragging the protesting students by their hair and thrashing them.

The protesters alleged that the authorities brought bulldozers and earthmovers as part of the redevelopment plan on the land adjacent to the campus.

The protest on Sunday triggered tension. Police detained more than 50 students. Two persons, identified as B. Rohit Kumar and Erram Naveen Kumar, were arrested and remanded to judicial custody.

According to police, the protesters attempted to halt the work by force and attacked officials and workers with sticks and stones. A police officer suffered minor injuries.

Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TGIIC) lodged a complaint with the Gachibowli police, which registered a case under Sections 329(3), 121(2), 132, 191(3) and 351(3) r/w 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Meanwhile, police have urged students not to believe rumours being spread through social media. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Madhapur, Dr Vineet, said TGIIC initiated development work on the land at Kancha Gachibowli village, as per the Government Order. “There was no lathi charge on the students, nor were any students dragged from their hostels as wrongly alleged,” he said.

“The students are advised not to pay heed to misleading and false news and seek resolution of any issues through official channels of communication. It is also informed that anyone disrupting law and order will be liable for action as per law,” he added.

The groups opposing the proposed auction say that this would destroy a vital lung space of the city. The ‘Save City Forests’ group argues that the forest serves as the “green lungs” of Hyderabad. They claim that since 1974, this area has been an integral part of the UoH campus, developing into a self-sustaining and biodiverse ecosystem that reflects indigenous forest ecology.

According to the group, the land is home to over 734 species of flowering plants, 10 species of mammals, 15 species of reptiles and 220 species of birds.

The government claimed its goal was to promote investment in the state and that the land has nothing to do with the university.

--IANS

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