Students force minister to return without attending conference

Hyderabad : Union Minister for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal had to return without attending the conference of Vice-Chancellors of Central Universities in Hyderabad yesterday when agitating pro-Telangana students blocked his path.

Hundreds of students shouting slogans in support of Telangana staged a demonstration at the Hyderabad Central University where the conference was to be held. The students wanted to know the stand of the minister on the issue of separate Telangana state.

Strongly opposing the Srikrishna Committee, the students demanded that the central government should bring a bill in Parliament immediately to create Telangana state.

When all the efforts to pacify the students and clear the way failed, the minister returned from the place without attending the conference. Another engagement of the inauguration of a new building of Institute of English and Foreign Languages was also cancelled in view of the protest. Later the police dispersed the students and brought the situation under control.

Agitating students alleged that the Congress-led central government was not sincere about solving the problem of Telangana and Srikrishna committee was meant to put the issue in cold storage.

Later addressing a press conference, Sibal refused to comment on the demonstration by the students. On the issues relating to his ministry, he said that every year permission for the new engineering colleges will be granted only between January and July.

He said that the proposal of a common entrance test acros the country for admissions to engineering and medical colleges was still at a primary stage.