'Boycott New Year celebrations for Telangana'

"We urge people to boycott New Year celebrations to press the government to take immediate steps for the formation of Telangana state," student leaders said.

They asserted that they will go ahead with the proposed massive students' convention on January 3 even as city Police Commissioner B Prasada Rao said permission has not been granted to hold such a meeting.

The student leaders, who vowed to gather four or five lakh students for the convention, said at least one youth from every family in Telangana should attend the meet.

They had on Monday said police permission was not required for the convention 'Telangana Vidyarthi Maha Garjana' (massive roar by Telangana students).

"We need not obtain permission from the police. We need permission from our vice chancellor. He will definitely give the permission," they had said.

Meanwhile, tension prevailed in the Varsity campus today when police stopped a demonstration by the students.

"We wanted to convey to the police officials that illegal arrests are not fair. But we were stopped," a student leader said.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad Commissioner of Police B Prasada Rao today warned of stern action if students took to streets and disturbed normal life.

"We (police) take it seriously as they have thrown a challenge," the commissioner told reporters, when he was queried about the New Year celebrations boycott call, given by the students.

Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC would be imposed from Wednesday for a week in the city in order to maintain peace and tranquility, he said.

Besides deploying police pickets, all preventive measures would be taken to maintain peace in the city, the commissioner said.