Hyderabad has been put under strict security arrangements and massive traffic restrictions for Saturday's 'Chalo Assembly' programme called by the Students Joint Action Committee.
Despite appeals from Chief Minister K Rosaiah and other leaders to withdraw the programme of laying siege to the assembly, the Students JAC has decided to press ahead with its protest against the indiscriminate use of force by the police and paramilitary forces at the Osmania University Campus last week.
As part of its efforts to ensure peace at the Osmania University campus, the government has set up a 11-member peace committee headed by Vice Chancellor Tirupati Rao.
To foil the attempt of the Telangana students, all roads leading towards the assembly are being closed, and traffic will be diverted to other routes. Twenty check-points have been set up and barricades put in place to regulate the movement of traffic.
Briefing the media about the security arrangements and traffic restrictions, Hyderabad Police Commissioner A K Khan appealed to the people not to venture out of their homes.
Pointing out that the state budget will be presented in the state assembly on Saturday, Khan said that such elaborate arrangements were being made to ensure the smooth conduct of the budget presentation.
The police have received intelligence reports from various districts about students traveling to Hyderabad to participate in the programme, said Khan, and he warned the students that their actions can create security problems and cause inconvenience to others. He reminded the students that prohibitory orders had been enforced in Hyderabad under Section 144 and any public assembly will be considered unlawful.
As part of the elaborate security arrangements, four busy flyovers at Masab Tank, Basheerbagh, Telugu Talli and Narayanguda will also be closed.
Meanwhile the chief minister has appealed to the students Joint Action Committee to withdraw the 'Chalo Assembly' call.
Appealing the students to cancel the programme, the chief minister warned that anti-social elements can infiltrate their protest and disrupt the peace. "All the students are like my children and no father can keep quiet if his children's education is getting disturbed," he said.
