Hyderabad, (IANS): Tension prevailed in parts of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad on Wednesday as police arrested scores of students and their leaders to foil a rally of unemployed youths.
Sporadic incidents of violence were reported from Osmania University, Nizam College, Secunderabad PG College and some other educational institutions as students staged protests to condemn the arrest of Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC) convenor M. Kodandaram and other leaders and activists across Telangana.
Demanding their release, the students took out rallies, shouting anti-government slogans.
Defying prohibitory orders, leaders and activists of TJAC, opposition parties and student groups tried to march towards Sundaraiah Vignana Kendram and Indra Park.
TJAC had decided to go ahead with its rally from Sundaraiah Vignana Kendram to Indra Park in the heart of the city to demand that the state government must fulfill its promise of providing one lakh jobs.
The police had denied them permission, fearing violence during the rally.
Tension prevailed at Osmania University campus as police stopped students from taking out a rally. The protestors stoned police and the latter used force to disperse them. Some arrests were made.
A student tried to immolate himself near Osmania University Arts College. He was detained.
A sub-inspector of police was injured when students pelted stones at Nizam College in the heart of the city.
Leaders of the Congress, Left parties and Aam Aadmi Party and activists of student groups affiliated to the opposition parties were among those arrested at more than a dozen places in the city.
Students and leaders of various groups tried to lay siege to Kamatipura police station in Secunderabad, where Kodandaram and his supporters were detained.
As a precaution, the police arrested the TJAC leader from his house early on Wednesday and shifted him to the police station.
Protests broke out in different places in the state as police stopped and arrested students and youth heading to Hyderabad for the rally.
The Osmania University Joint Action Committee has called for a shutdown of educational institutions in the state on Thursday.
Police sealed all routes leading to Indra Park to prevent any gathering. Security was tightened on the roads around Sundaraiah Vignana Kendram.
The students alleged that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) had failed to fulfill its promise to provide 1.07 lakh jobs.
They demanded immediate steps to fill all the vacancies in the government and in public sector undertakings.