Payment teams behind University of Hyderabad student protests, claim Congress Ministers

Alleges that the "innocent students" were being instigated by "bigwigs from the previous government"

Hyderabad: The State government on Tuesday alleged that the ongoing protests by University of Hyderabad students had the strings being pulled by “payment teams”.

Addressing a press conference, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy alleged that the “innocent students” were being instigated by “bigwigs from the previous government”.

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“In the guise of students, payment teams are creating a ruckus on the university campus. They even attacked a few police officers and an ACP,” Srinivas Reddy said, also challenging opposition parties to prove if a single wild animal or a bird was killed on the campus. Continuing to claim ownership of the 400-acre land under survey number 25 at Kanche Gachibowli, the Minister also claimed that not an inch of university land was being taken over.

“A few people and organisations affiliated to political parties are misleading people. A week ago, a meeting was held with the university Vice-Chancellor and Registrar and all the issues were clarified. Since the last two days, a section of media and social media affiliated to a few parties are conducting false campaigns,” Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu said at the press conference.

A special action plan was being formulated to save the natural rock formations or lakes or flora, and fauna. Though they were in the government lands, special measures were being taken up to protect the students’ interests and safeguard the biodiversity, he said, echoing Ponguleti’s statement that vested interest groups were conducting false campaigns against the auction.

Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, also an alumnus of UoH like Sridhar Babu, said before January 13, 2004, the university staff had also felt that the 400 acres belonged to the university. The then Telugu Desam government had allotted these lands to IMG Bharata, he said, listing out the legal history of the land and stating that the State government had fought and won the case, after which the land was allotted to TGIIC for development.