‘CM Down Down’: Revanth Reddy leaves OU amid student uproar

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy faced massive student protests at Osmania University on Wednesday, with slogans of “CM Down Down”. Students, teachers, and contract staff expressed anger over unfulfilled promises, while the CM failed to address job recruitment and pension issues

Hyderabad: Osmania University campus erupted in protests forcing an embarrassed Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to leave the campus even as full-throated slogans of ‘CM Down Down’ rent the air.

A heavy posse of policemen had to struggle to keep the protesting students at bay, while the CM’s convoy exited the campus. However, Congress MLC Balmoor Venkat Narsing Rao and other leaders had to face the wrath of slogan-shouting students, who followed them till their vehicles, even as policemen escorted them out of the campus.

Tension had been brewing on the campus from Wednesday morning, with students, regular teachers, assistant professors on contract, part-time teachers and contract employees getting ready to meet the visiting Chief Minister.

Student leaders belonging to BRSV, ABVP and Mala students associations were taken into preventive custody, contrary to the earlier promise of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy that there would be no preventive arrests during his visit to the campus.

Revanth Reddy was scheduled to address a meeting of students and OU staff in front of the iconic Arts College building before noon, but he arrived around 1 pm. Security was extremely tight with only students with their identity cards allowed into the meeting site.

The audience were hopeful of the Chief Minister announcing about the job calendar, filling up of two lakh vacancies in a year, while the teachers anticipated that Revanth Reddy would lend a sympathetic ear to their demands of Contributory Pension Scheme implementation and CAS promotions. The contract employees were expecting an announcement of regularisation of their service.

However, the Chief Minister who spoke for over 40 minutes did not touch upon any of the anticipated issues, but merely said his government had given administration sanction for Rs 1,000 crore for development of the OU campus. He took the academicians and students by surprise when he talked about his lack of English speaking skills, Telangana history, armed peasant movement and statehood agitation, but did not touch upon any of the burning issues like his pre-election promise of announcing a job calendar, recruitments etc.

As the restive audience waited, he concluded his speech and contrary to the assurances of the police officers that he would meet a delegation of people inside the Arts College building, his convoy rolled in and Revanth Reddy got into the vehicle.

The peaceful atmosphere became surcharged all of a sudden as the Chief Minister stood on the pedestal of his car and began waving at the students, who were enraged by then, taking the scores of police officers by surprise.

As slogans of “CM Down Down” rent the air the convoy moved ahead and the crowds became frenzied while raising slogans and running after the convoy. The policemen heaved a sigh of relief as the CM convoy left the place, but the wrath of students turned against MLC Balmoor Venkat and other Congress leaders who were walking to their vehicles.

The agitated students began arguing with them about the unfulfilled promises of job recruitments and issuance of job calendar. Even as the MLC’s gunmen and other policemen escorted them to their vehicles, crowds began chasing them. The situation returned to normalcy only after the Congress leaders exited the campus.