Hyderabad, Dec 3 (Inditop.com) With the movement for separate statehood for Telangana taking a violent turn, the Andhra Pradesh government Thursday declared a 15-day holiday for all colleges and universities in the region.
All junior, degree and university or post-graduate colleges in Telengana, which comprises 10 districts, including Hyderabad, will remain closed for 15 days from Dec 4, the government said in an order.
All government, aided and private colleges including engineering, MBA, MCA, Pharmacy and Law colleges will remain shut till Dec 18.
The school education department is also likely to declare holidays for schools.
The move to shut down colleges and universities in the region come as the government felt that students were taking the movement for a separate Telangana state into their hands.
There are also reports that Maoists were exploiting the unrest on the university campuses to recruit students. Chief Minister K. Rosaiah, who is on a visit to Delhi, told reporters that the authorities were trying to verify the reports.
The decision to declare holidays was taken after Home Minister P. Sabita Indra Reddy held a meeting with ministers from the region to review the situation in view of the continuing hunger strike by Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao.
Hundreds of students Thursday took out rallies in different parts of Telangana, expressing solidarity with the TRS leader. Students of Kakatiya University in Warangal took out a mock funeral of a local legislator of ruling Congress party Konda Surekha to protest her stand against the demand for separate state.
Ever since Chandrasekhara Rao launched what he termed ‘fast unto death’ after his arrest on Sunday, the student community has been staging protests. Some private colleges remained shut for the last four days.
Osmania University campus here was rocked by violence. Police had used force against the students, evoking strong reaction from various political parties.
The authorities are likely to launch a drive to vacate hostels in Osmania and other universities and colleges to prevent any gathering of students.
Revolutionary singer Gaddar, who addressed a meeting of students at Osmania University Monday, urged the students to consider the holidays an opportunity to intensify the movement and visit the villages.
rounak