Hyderabad: A scuffle broke out between students and police at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) on Wednesday, April 2, during a teachers’ march.
As the march began, students raised slogans against Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy. They also raised slogans saying that Revanth sent the police because he is scared.
As the sloganeering escalated, police officials attempted to prevent the students from doing so. The students refused to budge and asked, “Will you lathi charge us?” After a while, the police resorted to a lathicharge, and the students and teachers began to run for safety.
The protest march was organised by teachers at the UoH amid the ongoing dispute over the proposed auction of the 400-acre land in Kancha Gachibowli. Protesters say that the government’s plan to auction the land will adversely impact the environment in the vicinity of the university.
Videos of the police chasing students with lathis surfaced online.
The protests have intensified over the past three weeks since the Telangana government on March 3, announced it would auction the Kancha Gachibowli land.
Not taken even an inch of Hyderabad University land, says Telangana govt
Legal issue
Elaborating on the legal aspect of the Kancha Gachibowli land, the Telangana government stated that in 2004, the Andhra Pradesh (AP) government allotted 400 acres to IMG Academies Bharata Pvt Ltd on January 13, 2004, in Survey Number 25 of Kancha Gachibowli Village for the development of sports facilities.
According to a report by The Hindu, as the project of the IMG Academies Bharata Pvt Ltd did not take off, the then Government of Andhra Pradesh (A.P.) revoked the allotment on November 21, 2006, which was challenged in the A.P. High Court. The new government pursued the matter vigorously, and the High Court passed orders in favour of the government on March 7, 2024.
Telangana govt secures land
Following the High Court order, the IMG Academies Bharata Pvt Ltd filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) before the Supreme Court of India. The government again contested the matter, and the SLP was dismissed by the Supreme Court of India on May 3, 2024. Thus, the government was able to secure the land.
The ownership of the land was also confirmed by the Deputy Collector and Tahsildar, Serilingampally Mandal who confirmed that as per Revenue records the land in Survey Number 25 of Kancha Gachibowli Village was recorded as “Kancha Asthabal Poramboke Sarkari”, which is government land and an extent of 400 acres was free from encroachments and under the possession of government for further development.
Land handed over to TGIIC
Following the acquisition of the land, the Telangana government handed it over to TGIIC in July 2024 for setting up the Information Technology (IT) and mixed-use project. The land was handed over to TGIIC on July 1, 2024, duly conducting the panchanama.
