Threat to ‘shut down’ Telangana

The Osmania University Students’ Joint Action Committee (JAC) has threatened to ‘shut down’ Telangana on Sunday if the preliminary test of Group-I was not postponed as per their demand. The JAC leaders who along with the Political JAC discussed the issue on Thursday set Saturday evening as the deadline for the Government to announce the postponement. “If not, we will call for a Telangana bandh,” the JAC leaders Kailash Netha and Kishore said.

They said they would meet the public representatives apart from the Chief Minister and the Governor to impress on them the need to postpone the exam which is slated to be held on Sunday. The APPSC had already rejected the demand for its postponement.

The bone of contention is the demand for earmarking 42 per cent of posts for Telangana candidates as per the Gentlemen’s Agreement. The JAC also rejected the argument that rule of reservation was not possible at the preliminary level. “Such system is followed by UPSC for its exams and also in the neighbouring States,” Mr. Netha said.

The JAC called for boycott of classes across Telangana on September 4 and appealed to students to boycott the exam. Mr. Kishore agreed that views of candidates who want to write the test were also discussed at the meeting. “We understand their anxiety but a majority are in favour of postponement since these are plum posts like Deputy Collector, DSPs and CTOs and candidates don’t want to lose an opportunity,” he said.

Telangana JAC convenor M. Kodandaram extended the JAC’s cooperation to the bandh claiming the demands raised by students were “constitutionally justified”.