The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Protests by BJYM, ABVP mar ICET counselling

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 17, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Protests by BJYM, ABVP mar ICET counselling

Staff Reporter

Activists of the two organisations object to
4 per cent quota being accorded to Muslim students

PHOTO: K. RAMESH BABU

Venting their ire: Students ransacking ICET counselling centre on OU campus on Monday. -

HYDERABAD: The first-day of ICET counselling for admission into MBA and MCA courses began on a troubled note on Monday with members of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) allegedly vandalising the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in Kukatpally protesting against the Government’s decision to provide quota for Muslims.

At Osmania University, activists of its allied organisation - Akhil Bharatiya Vidyardhi Parishad (ABVP) too held demonstration inside the counselling hall at the Centre for Distance Education (CDE). However, the police swung into action and within an hour of both the incidents, counselling was resumed and continued till evening without any further untoward incident. Rank holders up to 1,000 were called for counselling on the first day.

Counselling was also conducted at six other centres simultaneously in the State and no untoward incident was reported.

ICET Convener D. N. Reddy told reporters that over 28,000 seats would be filled for MBA and MCA courses in 326 colleges. “We may get 4,000 additional seats by next phase of counselling to be held from July 31 with the opening of 40 All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) affiliated colleges this year,” he said.

Activists threw chairs, damaged a television set and a printer in JNTU as soon as the counselling commenced protesting against the recently promulgated ordinance for according 4 per cent reservations to Muslims in jobs and educational institutions. They ran away after doing the damage and before the police arrived at the scene. At the time of incident, hundreds of students gathered for the counselling.

At Osmania University, ABVP activists eluded police personnel posted at the main gate of the CDE and barged into the conference hall after scaling the compound wall from the rear side.

They sat on the floor and raised slogans denouncing the Government’s quota decision. The police reached the place soon and took them into custody.

‘Stir uncalled for’

The Minister for Technical Education, R. Chenga Reddy, who inspected the counselling process at OU, described the agitation organised by BJYM and ABVP as uncalled for.

“We don’t want to derive any political mileage by giving separate quota for Muslims. Our Government is committed to development of backward classes and Muslims,” he said.

When contacted, Kukatpally Inspector J. Radesh Murali said cases had been booked against the BJYM activists for creating disturbance on the JNTU campus. Efforts were on to trace them.

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