The Telangana Police launched a crackdown on the protests by students of the University of Hyderabad against the state government’s proposed auction of 400 acres of land at Kancha Gachibowli.

The government land, adjacent to the university that boasts of rich biodiversity is considered an urban forest with mushroom-shaped rocks, greenery, and small animals.

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As earthmovers were brought in on Sunday to clear the area the protesting students, who resisted the move, were lathicharged and arrested. Even a journalist covering the protest was detained.

Ever since the state government’s plans to develop the land came to light, there have been protests, both online and offline, from students, citizens, and environmental activists, and PILs have been filed.

Several students of the HCU, including girls, were arrested by the police as they resisted the earthmovers brought in to clear the land at Kancha Gachibowli. The state government, taking advantage of the long weekend due to Ugadi and Eid decided to clear the land, though a PIL was currently pending with the high court and protests were going on.

Barricades were put up at the east campus near the School of Economics. The arrested students complained that they were not told where they were being taken to by the police. They were later taken to the Madhapur police station. Several students showed injuries after being dragged by police personnel and their clothes torn.

BRS working president KT Rama Rao condemned the arrests. He said, “The draconian police overreach in Telangana is alarming. Journalists are being detained, and dissenting voices arrested. This blatant suppression of free speech and expression is unacceptable. And Rahul Gandhi goes to town preaching about democracy and free speech. The double standards is beyond sickening.”

Telangana BJP also condemned the lathicharge and arrest of the student through its ‘X’ handle. It said, “Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who earlier used derogatory language against the protestors, is now resorting to police force to crush dissent. Facing a financial crisis of its own making, the Congress government is selling off public land to private players while the chief minister hurls abuses at students daring to oppose it.”

The chief minister had recently dismissed the protests over the Kancha Gachibowli land in the Assembly, saying, “There are no tigers or deer in that area, but some foxes are trying to disrupt the development,” raising howls of protest from student organizations and civil society groups. The state government has maintained that the land adjacent to the HCU did not belong to the university, and IT minister D Sridhar Babu has stated that the biodiversity and the Mushroom rocks will be preserved.