The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Lathicharge on students condemned

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Thursday, Dec 14, 2006
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Lathicharge on students condemned

Special Correspondent

VIOLENT TWIST: The police using force against members of the Students Federation of India in Hyderabad on Wednesday. — Photo: G. Krishnaswamy

HYDERABAD: Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu has condemned the police lathicharge on members of the Students Federation of India, describing it as `inhuman and brutal.'

In a statement, Mr. Naidu said it was unfortunate that the police used brute force against students who were justified in demanding better facilities in social welfare hostels. He expressed concern over 15 students receiving bleeding injuries. Extending the party's support to the agitation, he demanded that the Government take immediate steps to improve facilities in hostels.

CPI(M) reaction

Condemning the lathicharge, Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary B.V. Raghavulu has demanded an apology from the Chief Minister.

Mr. Raghavulu, who participated in the `rasta roko' organised by the SFI activists after the lathicharge on Wednesday, said people would teach a fitting lesson to the Congress if it did not mend its ways of suppressing agitations for a genuine cause.

"Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy should remember the way the previous Telugu Desam Government was voted out," he said.

Expressing concern over the caning of the students, he said while the protesters were seeking action from the Government, the latter deputed the police. The Government should make a statement on the measures to address the problems faced in the social welfare hostels besides ensuring scholarship to all weaker sections' students, he said.

Meanwhile, political parties, trade unions and organisations condemned it as a "fascist" action by police. The AP Rythu Sangham, PDSU, AISF, BC United Front, CPI (ML-New Democracy) and CITU asked the Government to release arrested activists.

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