HCU: Striking non-teaching staff resume duties; campus peaceful

The non-teaching staff of Hyderabad Central University, who had gone on a strike protesting vandalisation of VC's lodge on March 22 allegedly by a group of students, resumed their duties on Thursday as the situation on the campus remained peaceful.

Members of HCU Non-Teaching Staff Union had boycotted duties from Tuesday afternoon protesting ransacking of Vice Chancellor Appa Rao Podile's official residence (VC's lodge) and after being assaulted allegedly by the group of students opposing Podile resuming his duty.

As part of the strike, cooks had shut down 'Students' Mess', expressing support to the vice chancellor after which students had set up an open kitchen on Wednesday.

"Messes, which had been shut down due to the strike by non-teaching staff opened on Thursday...they (non-teaching staff) have resumed their duties from Thursday in the larger interest of the university," HCU Registrar M Sudhakar told PTI.

Meanwhile, twenty-five students and two faculty members of HCU, who were arrested on Wednesday in connection with incidents of vandalism at VC's lodge and stone pelting on police personnel, were sent to judicial remand last night and are lodged in Cherlapally Central Prison.

"The situation on the campus is peaceful," Gachibowli police inspector J Ramesh said.

Mother of deceased Dalit research scholar Rohit Vemula, Radhika, who had staged a sit-in protest along with scores of HCU students in front of the university on Wednesday night after being denied entry, withdrew her protest at around 11.15 pm, HCU Chief Security Officer T V Rao said.

Radhika and the protesting students, who demanded Podile's immediate removal from the post and the release of students and faculty members arrested in connection with vandalism of the VC's lodge and stone-pelting on police, also made a vain bid to "barge" inside the campus but were stopped at the entrance itself, Rao said.

"She wanted to hold a dharna inside the campus, but we prevented her from doing so. She along with around 200 students attempted to go inside the campus, but we stopped them and they finally withdrew their protest at around 11.15 pm," the security official said.

IMAGE: Security personnel check the identity of Students at Hyderabad Central University in Hyderabad. Photograph: PTI