Osmania students to hold rally without state permission

Students of Osmania University have decided to go ahead with their 'Vidhyarthy Garjana' (students' roar) rally on Sunday despite the Andhra Pradesh government refusing to permit the programme.

The Students Joint Action Committee said five lakh students from across Telangana region would attend the rally in support of a separate Telangana state.

"We will go ahead with the rally even if they don't give us the permission," one of the JAC leaders said.

The Students JAC has decided to move the Andhra Pradesh high court on Saturday to secure permission for Sunday's rally.

The decision to not to permit the rally was conveyed to the organisers by

Hyderabad city Police Commissioner B Prasad Rao conveyed the government's order to not permit the rally on Friday night.

Senior leaders of Telangana Rashtra Samiti N Narasimha Reddy and T Harish Rao had met the police commissioner to seek permission on behalf of the Students' JAC, but Rao said the permission could not be given, as there was fear that peace would be disturbed.

Earlier, JAC leaders met state Home Minister Sabita Indra Reddy and sought her intervention. Reddy has reportedly assured to look in to the matter.

Chief Minister K Rosaiah also held a review meeting on the law and order situation, which was attended by Rao and state Director General of Police R Girish Kumar.

The authorities decided on X the rally on the basis of intelligence reports.

Leaders from the Telangana Joint Action committee may meet the chief minister K Rosaiah to seek permission for the rally.

Tension prevailed at Kakatiya University campus of Warangal where the police ended the indefinite fast by a group of students and shifted them to hospital.