Hyderabad: Hyderabad Police on Friday foiled an attempt by the students’ wing of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) to lay siege to the Assembly, demanding the release of fee reimbursement funds and the cancellation of a Government Order merging polytechnic colleges with Young India Skills University.
BRSV activists and students led by BRSV State President Gellu Srinivas Yadav tried to march from LB Stadium to the Assembly.
They were demanding that the government release the pending fee reimbursement dues and also cancel the Government Order (GO) 97 to merge government polytechnic colleges with the skills university.
Holding placards and banners, the protestors were raising slogans in support of their demands. The police stopped the protestors, who tried to defy the prohibitory orders by advancing towards the Assembly building. This led to a scuffle between the protestors and police.
Police personnel detained the protestors, including Gellu Srinivas Yadav and physically lifted them into the police vehicles after which they were shifted to different police stations.
Opposition parties have been protesting for release of fee reimbursement dues. They say that the future of nearly 40 lakh students, particularly those belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes, and the Economically Weaker Sections of society, is in jeopardy due to outstanding fee reimbursements totalling ₹15,000 crore.
A similar protest march was organised by the BJP’s youth wing BJYM on September 7. Police had detained the protestors including state BJP president N. Ramchander Rao.
BRS alleged that its MLAs were suspended from the Assembly for the entire Monsoon Session to stop them from raising issues including fee reimbursement dues.
Meanwhile, BRS members raised the issue of GO 97 in the Legislative Council on Friday. The party moved an adjournment motion over the issue and demanded an immediate debate on what it called the “ill-conceived” move by the state government.
Issued on July 3, 2026, the GO 97 renamed the Labour, Employment, Training and Factories Department as SHAKTI (Skill, Human Capital and Knowledge Training Initiatives) and brought government polytechnic colleges under the ambit of the YISU.
Students of polytechnic colleges have been opposing the GO, saying it could affect their access to the State Board of Technical Education and Training framework and the Engineering Common Entrance Test lateral-entry scheme, which allows diploma holders to directly enter undergraduate engineering programmes.
(IANS)
