Mon Mar 31 06:42:10 UTC 2025: ## Police Clash with Students Protesting Land Redevelopment Near Hyderabad University
**Hyderabad, Telangana –** Tensions flared at the University of Hyderabad yesterday as police clashed with students protesting the Telangana government’s plan to redevelop 400 acres of land adjacent to the campus. The incident has ignited a political firestorm, with the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) accusing police of brutality, alleging that students were dragged by their hair and beaten.
The government plans to construct an IT park on the land, a proposal that has sparked outrage among students who raised environmental concerns and questioned the land’s ownership. Students claim they saw bulldozers arriving and climbed atop the machinery to protest, chanting slogans against the government’s actions. Videos circulating online appear to show police forcefully detaining students and dragging them into police vans.
The BRS claims dozens of students were arrested, alleging that women were mistreated and their clothing torn. They condemned the use of force and drew a sharp contrast with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s “shop of love” campaign slogan, accusing the Congress of hypocrisy.
Police, however, claim only 53 students were taken into preventive custody for obstructing government officials, alleging some students assaulted police. A university official stated the land’s ownership has been with the government since 1974. The Chief Minister, A Revanth Reddy, denied student claims of instigation, reiterating that the land is part of the city’s IT hub and unconnected to the university.
The university students’ union condemned the police action, maintaining their protest was peaceful and accusing the police of forceful detentions and manhandling. The incident underscores the ongoing conflict between the government’s development plans and student concerns over environmental impact and potential land encroachment. The controversy is expected to continue to escalate.
First Piper 