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'Beef Festival' plans leads to 16 students' arrest in Osmania University

Speed News Desk | Updated on: 14 February 2017, 0:36 IST
QUICK PILL
  • An attempt to make a point about intolerance has led to the arrest of 16 students in Hyderabad\'s Osmania University.
  • Their plans of conducting a \'beef festival\' were summarily axed as the Hyderabad police also imposed heavy restrictions along with barricades in the University.
  • Let\'s see how BJP MLA Raja Singh\'s house arrest over his plans of celebrating Gau Seva Diwas complicate matter further...

The 'beef-no beef' issue has led to the arrest of 16 students in Hyderabad's Osmania University, along with the house arrest of BJP MLA Raja Singh.

The students were planning a 'beef festival' on campus, in defiance of a court ban. And MLA Raja had pledged to celebrate 'Gau Seva Diwas' to counter the beef festival.

Reportedly, the MLA had also planned a protest rally as he represents the Goshamahal area of the city. In a bid to ward off even a glimmer of a communal flare-up, the authorities took these steps. .

Following these developments, heavy restrictions are in place in the University today.

A group of students had also announced that they would organize a 'pork festival' today. According to the students, the festivals are meant to assert everyone's right to choice at a time when the country is debating 'intolerance'.

Earlier, several students were stopped by the police from conducting a 2-KM run in support of the beef festival.

On 8 December, Osmania students had reportedly consumed 'beef biryani' and 'kebabs' while being watched by the policemen, allegedly as a show of defiance.

A court had also intervened and had suspended the festivals saying they are illegal and violate various animal rights laws.

A petition had said that during similar beef festivals organised by students in 2011, 2012 and 2014, there had been clashes.

The Osmania University, one of the country's oldest institutions, had earlier announced that it would not allow activities unrelated to academics, including the beef and pork festivals on its campus.

First published: 10 December 2015, 11:39 IST