Hyderabad students rally in solidarity with Delhi protesters at Osmania University

Hundreds of students, activists, and civil society members gathered at Osmania University in Hyderabad on Wednesday to express solidarity with students protesting in Delhi. The demonstration, which began around 4 p.m. near the Arts College building, saw participants marching to the university library and calling for others to join. The protest remained peaceful and concluded around 6.30 p.m. after police requested the crowd to disperse.

Participants cited historical support from Delhi activists during Telangana's statehood movement as a reason for their solidarity. “When students in Hyderabad and across Telangana were protesting for the Telangana movement in 2014 and before, there were voices and activists from Delhi who supported the movement. Now it is our time to show the same solidarity to the people who are in Delhi and who are being attacked by the police for protesting,” said a participant who requested anonymity.

A Hyderabad-based paediatrician, Shaheera, who attended the rally, said she could relate to the struggles of students preparing for competitive examinations. “I am a doctor myself. I gave the entrance exam in 2007 and I can understand the hard work that goes into preparing for an exam,” she said. On the question of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, Shaheera said fixing accountability at the top would send a strong message. “If one person is sacked, then it sets a precedent for the whole chain of command,” she said.

Protesters raised slogans demanding justice and accountability, referring to the police action against students in Delhi on July 20. Chetna, a working professional, said it was time for more people to publicly support the students. “For the last 12 years, every major scam or problem has been brushed aside by calling protesters anti-nationals. In fact, today those who are still not in favour of the NEET students are the real anti-nationals,” she said.

Another protester, Srihari, said he had initially confined his support to social media but decided to join after seeing videos of the police action. “Until July 20, I was supporting the movement online. But when I saw innocent students and women being beaten just for demanding accountability, I realised that support cannot be limited to the internet. We have to come out and protest,” he said.

The protest was part of a broader response to the July 20 incidents in Delhi, where students demonstrating over alleged irregularities in the NEET exam were met with police action. The Hyderabad gathering remained orderly, with participants dispersing peacefully after police intervention.