Hyderabad: A simmering conflict at the University of Hyderabad reached a boiling point as students clashed with police over the Telangana government’s ambitious plan to redevelop 400 acres of land adjacent to their campus. This not only sparked local outrage but also ignited a political firestorm, with the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) lambasting the governing Congress party for alleged police brutality against the protesters.
In the heart of Hyderabad’s IT corridor, the students’ protest stands as a powerful symbol of resistance against what they see as an ecological threat. The government’s proposal to set up an IT park on the land, strategically located near the university, has met with fierce opposition from students who claim that the area is not only a vital ecological zone but also a cherished part of their academic environment.
At the core of the controversy is the deployment of bulldozers and earthmovers to clear the land, which students argue signals the beginning of a destructive process that could imperil local flora and fauna. The opposition BRS has been vocal about what it describes as police overreach, alleging that protesters were subjected to physical abuse and humiliation. “Dragged by their hair,” some female students are reported to have had their clothes torn during the confrontation.
On the other hand, the police stated that they took 53 students into preventive custody, citing obstruction of government work and alleging that some protesters assaulted police officers. The university’s students’ union contests this, maintaining that their rally was peaceful and that the police response was disproportionate and forceful.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has consistently maintained that the land in question is integral to the city’s IT hub and has no affiliation with the university. The state government’s push for development is framed as an economic strategy to boost investment and create employment opportunities. However, this narrative does little to assuage the concerns of students and environmental activists, who see the redevelopment as a threat to biodiversity and urban green spaces.
