Hyderabad, Apr 1 (UNI) Protests by students and politicians gained momentum over the land dispute at Hyderabad Central University (HCU).

On Tuesday, some BJP leaders and MLAs who were against the HCU land auction are scheduled to visit the university. Police have stationed officers at the main gate of HCU and the Hyderguda Quarters in anticipation of disturbances. To keep them from getting to the location, few BJP leaders, including BJLP leader Eetti Maheswar Reddy, have been placed under house arrest.

Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has called for a dharna near the HCU entrance, adding to the tensions. Student unions have also joined the protest, declaring a class boycott in response to the ongoing land dispute.

However, the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) has reaffirmed that the government is the rightful owner of the 400 acres of contested land in Kancha Gachibowli. Citing official documents, it stated that HCU had paid 397 acres to the former Andhra Pradesh government for the land. Documents proving this assertion have been made public by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO).

The state government has stuck to its guns, claiming that the land is entirely their property and that any opposition to the auction is driven by politics. It claimed that some politicians and real estate brokers had deceived students in order to further their own agendas. Citing a Supreme Court decision that upholds its ownership, the government has also threatened to treat any future disagreement over the issue as contempt of court.

Police presence has increased in response to rising tensions in order to prevent any disruptions to law and order. As activists, student unions, and political leaders continue to demonstrate over the divisive land issue, the situation is still unstable.

UNI VV KK