20 injured in clash between pro-Telangana students, police in AP

Over 20 people, including security personnel and mediamen, were injured when students agitating over creation of a separate Telangana hurled stones at them on the Osmania University campus here, prompting police to use force to quell them.

Security personnel used batons, fired rubber bullets and tear gas shells when students defied prohibitory orders and tried to take out a procession last evening in support of legislators who resigned to protest the terms of reference of the Sri Krishna Committee to go into the issue of separate statehood, Commissioner of Police AK Khan said.

Prohibitory orders were in force on the campus as the university is the hotbed of the ongoing Telangana agitation in the state. Joint Commissioner of Police (Security) PSR Anjaneyulu, who was supervising the security on the OU campus, was injured when the mob pelted stones at police. Ten other policemen also sustained injuries, police sources said.

Andhra Pradesh government last night ordered an inquiry into the baton-charge on students at the university. "The incident at OU is painful. I spoke with the DGP and police commissioner on the conditions that led to this incident and why cane-charge had to be done. An inquiry has been ordered into the incident immediately," state Home Minister P Sabita Reddy said.

Action will be taken if any officer is found to have committed any excess, she said. "The Centre has constituted a committee. That committee will definitely take into consideration the feelings of the region. Students should also be calm," she said.