Police have steeped up security in Osmania University campus to prevent any untoward incident, in view of separate students' bodies announcing holding of 'beef' and 'pork' festivals in the varsity tomorrow and a local court ordering a status quo on any such events.
"We are taking all precautionary measures. The High Court also (today) gave oral instructions that authorities should ensure that it (festivals) is not done," Deputy Commissioner of Police (East Zone) A Ravinder told PTI.
When asked about deployment of additional forces, the DCP said they would do it as part of precautionary measures.
"Naturally, we deploy additional forces. But, they will only be local police forces. So far we have not taken anybody into preventive arrest. If necessary we may do it," he added.
A student group had declared that it would hold a 'beef festival' in the varsity campus tomorrow, coinciding with the World Human Rights Day, while another group also announced their plan to organise a 'pork festival' on the same day, which raised the possibility of confrontation.
The city civil court had passed the status quo order two days ago, which amounts to staying the holding of the festivals, on a petition filed by an advocate.
The petitioner contended that these events are in the violation of Cruelty Towards Animal Act and Cow Slaughter Act, and hurt the religious sentiments of the people.
Meanwhile, BJP MLA T Raja Singh said if the student group went ahead with the beef festival, "We will try to stop it".
Accusing the student group of "trying to play political games to derive political mileage", the Goshamahal MLA said he was requesting the police not to allow the event.
Osmania University, one of the oldest educational institutions of higher learning, has already clarified that activities unrelated to academics, including 'beef festival', 'pork festival' and 'gau-puja' would not be permitted on the campus.
Noting that practical exams have already commenced on
December 7 and the PG theory exams are slated for December 14, the OU said any non-academic activity would disturb the academic environment and the almanac.
Meanwhile, mild tension prevailed at OU as some ABVP activists tried to protest on some of the issues related to appointment of Vice Chancellor and other academic matters, the DCP said.
He, however, clarified that the issue raised by the ABVP activists was not related to 'beef' or any other festival.
"There was a separate issue of ABVP students. It was with regard to the appointment of VC and other academic related issues. They were taken into preventive custody," Ravinder said.
(Reopens BOM16)
The division bench of acting Chief Justice D B Bhosle and Justice S V Bhatt ordered status quo in response to a writ petition filed by K Raju who said the beef festival may lead to violence.
Large scale violence was witnessed when beef festival was organised on the campus by a section of students in 2011, 2012 and 2014, said the petition.
Lawyer of the Osmania University informed the HC that they have already approached the police. A local civil court had already a granted status quo order and the varsity was trying to prevent the festival from taking place, he said.
The judges then said in view of the lower court's order, no such festival should be allowed to be held.
