Police foil OU students' bid to march towards assembly

Hyderabad, July 19 (IANS) Police Thursday foiled an attempt to take out a rally to the state assembly by pro-Telangana students of Osmania University who were demanding that legislators from Telangana not vote for United Progressive Alliance (UPA) candidate Pranab Mukherjee in the presidential election.

Tension prevailed at the university campus as the students' Joint Action Committee (JAC) tried to take out a rally towards the assembly building, where polling for the president's post was in process.

The police stopped the protesters at the university's NCC Gates and arrested a few student leaders. There were heated arguments between the students and police officials, following which students started pelting stones at the police.

Two people sustained minor injuries during the clash, police said.

The JAC appealed to all legislators from Telangana, especially those belonging to the ruling Congress party, not to vote for Mukherjee. They accused the former finance minister of delaying the formation of separate Telangana state.

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), which is fighting for separate statehood to Telangana, has decided to abstain from voting.