Tension prevailed at a private college in Hyderabad as Telangana activists attacked it demanding its closure while the parents of students staged a protest asking the management to keep it open.
Protestors pelted stones at the NRI College in Kukatpally, damaging its window panes. They were demanding that the management shut the college in view of the ongoing general strike in Telangana for a separate state.
Earlier, parents of students staged protests outside the college, demanding that the management run classes. They voiced concern over the future of their children who have already lost classes for a month.
The protestors, who had a heated argument with the parents, pelted stones on the college building. Police used batons to disperse protestors, eyewitnesses said.
The parents' association of the same college had Sunday held a meeting demanding that the Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) exempt educational institutions from the strike.
Utter confusion prevailed Monday among students over whether schools and colleges would open after Dussehra holidays. A large number of students were seen returning from schools as the managements decided not to run the classes in view of JAC's call to all educational institutions to remain closed.
In Kukatpally, where a large number of residents hail from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, some schools opened amid tight security provided by police.
However, the majority of colleges and schools, especially those run by institutions from Andhra, remained shut in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
All government-run educational institutions in Hyderabad and nine other districts of Telangana also remained closed as over 120,000 teachers continued the strike seeking a separate state.
The educational institutions are closed in the region for nearly a month as teachers have joined hands with other government employees in the people's strike.